


The Science of Sex

by charlottepriestly



Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: AU, F/F, Rating will go up - check chapter summaries!, Slight Miranda/Stephen pairing but only fleetingly ;), alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2019-05-29 22:11:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 54,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15082802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charlottepriestly/pseuds/charlottepriestly
Summary: Andy is a therapist. A sex therapist to be precise, and a very good one at that. Her life is turned upside down when a new client arrives at her clinic unexpectedly. Who is this woman with the sharp blue eyes and silver hair? And will Andy be able to keep a professional distance or will she succumb to the pull she feels towards her?





	1. Surprise Sessions and Disappointing Husbands

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Writer-Monkey-Esq, who so kindly let me have a go at writing this prompt after I read her awesome fic 'What Can I Do For You?', and to Crazybecat who was the original prompter. 
> 
> Let me know if I should continue with this story or not :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No copyright intended. The Devil Wears Prada belongs to Lauren Weisberger and Fox Pictures, so the characters don’t belong to me!

It was no secret that Andy Sachs liked to help people. Everybody who knew her was aware of this. Since she was a kid she always tried to give advice and help pretty much everybody around her. She'd even spent her summer volunteering at a nursing home, just for the joy of offering elderly people company and help in anything they needed. So it came as no surprise that as an adult she'd looked for a job where she could help others.

Not many people knew what her job was: most of her family and friends believed she was a common therapist. After all, she only provided services to people of high society. Those who could afford her help were usually famous and important, so it was always crucial to be very discreet. It's why her office was set up in a studio apartment in Manhattan, and not in a big facility of a public health care station.

In a few words, Andy was a sex therapist. No, she did not actually have sex with her clients. She simply offered guidance, advice, and psychological and even physical exercises for a healthy sex life. Clients (often couples) came to her for advice on how to improve their sex life and how to achieve or restore intimacy in a relationship. She was a good listener, always gentle and considerate, and never judged any of her patients, which is probably why she was so successful. Andy had a way of smiling with kindness and understanding, so that her patients were all at ease with her, and they trusted her. And, of course, she was great at her job because she had a great deal of knowledge about the complex subject that was sex - mostly because of her Honours Degree in Sexology, partly because she understood that there was no real 'correct' sex life.

And, yes, her job also included selling of sex toys, but only because she often knew exactly what her clients needed to be satisfied in the bedroom, and since they were high profile people who couldn't just go to any sex shop, she offered to provide them instead in a discreet way.

The front part of her studio was a sort of reception area, with cream walls, two comfortable sofas, a front desk, and a shelf full of books and magazines about sexuality and ways to find one's pleasure when being intimate alone or with someone. The room past the reception area was a large room filled with light and plants and warm colours where her patients could relax and feel safe when they had a session with her. With tasteful art hanging on the walls, a long comfortable sofa, a plush armchair (Andy's usual place), a coffee table usually adorned with warm herbal tea, a dark oak desk, and shelves filled to the top with books, it was not surprising that her clients instantly forgot they were at a 'clinic' of any sort, and simply felt like they were at someone's home. This was good for Andy: the more relaxed the patient was, the more they would open up and the better Andy could help them. Overall, it was not a very common clinic, but it was stylish enough and her patients were comfortable. That's all that mattered, really.

It was usually rather quiet in the studio past 7 pm, since Andy never had any therapy sessions past that time. She preferred to end the evenings doing research or brainstorming ways in which she could aid her patients, or simply doing some leisure reading before going home.

Which is why she was surprised to hear a loud, insistent knocking on the front door. Andy frowned and quickly moved to open the door, only for a silver-haired woman to breeze past her before she had the chance to look at her properly, let alone manage a greeting.

Startled but determined to put on a kind face, Andy shut the door and turned to the woman. She was like no one Andy had ever seen: stylish and poised and regal, but when blue eyes met Andy's, she could see her guest was unsettled.

"I've been told that you can help me," the woman said in a cool voice.

Andy tried not to let her smile fade. Brilliant blue eyes looked at her unflinchingly, but the woman's back was ramrod straight and her shoulders tense. Her pursed lips did nothing to convince Andy that the woman was in any way calm or relaxed.

"Well, why don't you tell me your problem, and I'll see if I can help?" Andy said warmly. She waved with her hand to the door leading to the other room, and the woman through the doorway stalked out of the reception area. Andy took a deep breath before following her. She had a feeling this case would be interesting.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," Andy said.

Once the elegant woman was sitting on the couch and Andy on the armchair, Andy took her notebook and pencil before clearing her throat, noting how her new patient seemed anything but comfortable.

"Okay, let's start with the basics shall we? My name is Andy Sachs."

"I highly doubt that."

Andy blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Surely your mother had better taste than to name you _Andy_."

"Oh. Uh, well, everyone calls me that, but my given name is Andrea."

The woman hummed and looked around the room as if bored, but Andy caught the way her fingers played with her necklace. A nervous habit, perhaps? The silence that fell over them lasted only a few seconds before Andy realised the woman would not introduce herself.

"Sorry, but, um, who are you?"

That caught the woman's attention as she looked at Andy with an unreadable look, but the raised eyebrow told Andy it was something like disdain.

"You don't know who I am?"

Andy silently shook her head, and the other woman looked her up and down as if examining her before rolling her eyes.

"I should have guessed. My name is Miranda Priestly."

Andy nodded and took a quick note of the name, and then looked up to see Miranda staring at her in expectation. Clearly, Andy had meant to react to that name in some way. Eventually, the other woman rolled her eyes again - Andy was starting to get the feeling this was a very common expression for the other woman - and let out a sharp breath.

"Never mind, I can see that fashion is not your area of expertise," she drawled.

Andy frowned and looked down at her outfit. She was wearing a classy black suit with a white shirt underneath and a pair of black Doc Martins shoes. What was wrong with that? Andy mentally shook her head and looked back up at the other woman - Miranda - with a winning smile on her face.

"So, Miranda, what can I do to help?"

Miranda played with her necklace some more before she seemed to realise what she was doing and placed her hands rigidly on her lap. Clearing her throat, she said, "I need help with my marriage."

"All right, what's wrong with your marriage?"

Miranda snorted. "What isn't?"

Andy smiled, amused by the dry humour. "Well, let's narrow it down then. What is the main problem I can help you with?"

"You're a sex therapist," Miranda started, sounding annoyed, before pausing to take a breath and calm herself. "So I have obviously come here because there are problems with that."

"Okay," Andy said, trying not to be put off by the woman's brusque demeanour. She understood that opening up about one's marital sex life was difficult for some people. "Is it okay if I ask you a few general questions?"

"I..." It seemed for a moment as if Miranda was going to argue or refuse, but she took a deep breath and her shoulders hunched forward slightly. "Yes."

"Alright. Let's start with the basics. How would you describe your sex life?"

Miranda tensed in her seat, and her jaw tightened. Andy sighed internally. Clearly Miranda felt incredibly uncomfortable here, which Andy didn't like, since she aimed for all her patients to be relaxed around her. She also seemed to be struggling to keep it together, like she was at the end of her rope, as if her marriage had been failing for some time now and this was her last desperate attempt. Andy watched as Miranda closed her eyes briefly and seemed to be forcing herself to open up.

"It's... uninspired. My husband is rather tired of me. I've been informed that I'm disappointing him with the way I act in bed," Miranda said in a flat voice, and all in one breath, as if she needed all her strength to get through saying just those short sentences.

Andy frowned at this.

"How do you act in bed?"

"I-" Miranda swallowed thickly and lowered her gaze. "I don't seem to be able to..." She waved her hand vaguely.

Andy felt compassion fill up in her chest at the crestfallen look on the woman's face. She had heard this story many times from other female patients.

"You don't have orgasms?"

Miranda's eyes snapped up.

"Obviously not," Miranda snapped, then took a deep breath, clenched her hands into fists and then released them again. "I tried faking them, for his benefit, but it appears he's not as unintelligent as I thought he was." At this last bit, she shrugged slightly and gave a small grin. Andy grinned back, glad that the woman had a sense of humour even when she was clearly going through a bad situation.

"And how would you describe your husband in bed?"

At this, Miranda frowned.

"Well, he always does the same thing, really."

"Okay, tell me what he does. Do you try different positions?"

Miranda's jaw tensed, but Andy could see her posture was slightly less rigid than before. She shook her head. "No, it's - it's always him on top."

Andy tried not to cringe.

"Is there oral sex involved?"

Miranda visibly swallowed, her shoulders tensing again and her eyes lowering to the floor. "No. I... I don't like to do it. I never did. I have tried but I never seem to be able to do it properly. And he never wants to do that to me. He says he doesn't like the... taste."

"Oh. Okay." Andy blinked, trying not to wonder what on earth was wrong with this guy. "What about foreplay?"

"There usually isn't much of that. He... likes to get straight to the point."

Andy tried, but couldn't keep the disbelief from showing on her face.

"So you don't do foreplay before penetration?"

Miranda glared at the carpet, clearly catching the bewildered tone in Andy's voice.

"No," she gritted out through clenched teeth. "As I said, we just do it."

Andy let out a long, silent breath. Miranda was so tense she seemed just about ready to bolt. Time to move on if she wanted to keep this session going.

"All right. What about touching you? Does he kiss your neck, touch your breasts or stimulate your clitoris?"

Miranda exhaled forcefully and looked up at brown eyes. Andy caught the vulnerability in Miranda's gaze before the blue orbs went cold and lowered once more.

"No. He says my breasts are too - " Miranda cleared her throat, and fidgeted with her bracelet. "they're too small to be enjoyable."

Andy read over her notes and wanted to cry in despair. She shook her head, really trying to hide her exasperation, since she was sure that she'd need patience and tact when dealing with this impromptu new client. She put her notebook aside and leaned forward in her seat so she could look at Miranda closely. When she finally caught the woman's eye, she spoke.

"Let me get this straight, Miranda. You husband doesn't touch you in any erogenous zones, doesn't use his hands or mouth to pleasure you directly on your clitoris, doesn't take part in any foreplay, and yet he expects you to be able to achieve orgasm simply from him penetrating you?"

Miranda blinked at her.

"Well, I - yes. It's why I'm here, so you can help me fix it. I - I want to be able to please him."

Andy gritted her teeth before taking a calming breath.

"Miranda, first of all, sex is not just about pleasing your husband. Sex should be a two-way exchange, and you have the right to enjoy it just as much as he does. He should be trying to please you as well. Secondly, you don't need fixing. I doubt many women would be able to climax with that lack of preparation, arousal, or stimuli. It's completely normal that you can't finish, he's not taking care of your needs."

Miranda leaned back, seeming surprised at this information. Andy sighed.

"You thought it was your fault?" She asked, wanting to cry. How could this woman think it could be her fault? How on _earth_ does somebody have the fortune of marrying someone as beautiful as this woman - because, Andy had to admit, Miranda was uniquely beautiful - and not even put in the effort to please her? And on top of that make her feel bad about it?

"Well, I-" Miranda fumbled with her bracelet. "My ex husband wasn't satisfied with me either. The common denominator in both cases is me." Suddenly, her shoulders slumped, and Andy could clearly see that Miranda looked broken and defeated. Then, in a quiet, small voice, she said, "I could understand that."

Andy felt her heart squeeze painfully. What had these two animals done to this woman? Andy often avoided touching her patients or invading their personal space. She was a professional, after all. But in this case, she decided to forget about professionalism. She stood up and walked a few paces until she sat on the sofa besides Miranda, at a safe distance from touching her, but close enough that she could finally take a closer look at the woman.

"No, Miranda. I'm sorry to be so forward, I understand I am basically a stranger to you, but I'm afraid you married a sex idiot. He sees to his own needs instead of yours, and that is the most selfish thing a partner can do. Miranda, you are not the problem here, believe me."

Miranda blinked slowly at her, then let out a breath that seemed of relief. Her shoulders finally relaxed, and she leaned back a little on the couch.

"So what do you suggest I do? I've tried to tell him what to do before - I've tried to make it better, but he thinks that I'm too... controlling, and he likes to do things his way." She said, shaking her head helplessly. "I don't know what to do."

Andy stayed quiet for a moment, before finally making her decision.

"I'm going to recommend something. You don't have to use it if you don't want to, but it might help your situation."

Miranda looked uncertain, but then nodded, the dubious look remaining in her blue eyes.

Andy stood and went to her desk, taking a plastic package containing a small device from her drawer and returning to her seat beside Miranda. She gave the package to Miranda who looked at it for several moments, clearly trying to figure out what the little blue device was. When she looked at Andy with a puzzled expression and a questioning eyebrow raised, Andy explained.

"It's a finger vibrator. You put it on your finger and then rub it on your clit." Andy tried to ignore the rosy blush that bloomed on Miranda's cheeks. "I suggest you use it while you're with your husband. Since he doesn't seem to want to change his ways, you can use that on yourself so you don't _disturb_ him, but at least you'll be able to feel pleasure by your own hand."

Miranda fidgeted before inspecting the small toy again, her blush still covering her cheeks and cleavage. She finally gave a resigned sigh before nodding.

"I suppose I don't have anything to lose. I - I'll take it."

Andy smiled. "Great. How about we set an appointment for next week? Is Friday good for you?"

Miranda nodded, putting her purchase safely away in her Prada purse.

"Yes, I believe I'll be free at around 6 pm."

Andy took out her phone and checked her calendar. "6 pm next Friday is perfect. My sessions are usually an hour long and I close up at 7, so it works for me."

"Good." Miranda said, standing up and donning her fur coat.

They made their way past the reception area and to the front door, which Andy held open for the silver-haired woman.

"Could I pay you next week?"

"Sure," Andy said, smiling at her.

Miranda gave a curt nod and turned to leave, but just as she passed the threshold she turned and gazed at Andy contemplatively for a moment.

"You don't know who I am, do you? When I came in you didn't recognise me. Not even when I told you my name."

Andy blinked.

"No, sorry, I-I can't say that I know who you are."

Miranda nodded, and then gave Andy a little smile, as if pleased that Andy hadn't recognised her. Andy was entranced by the twinkle that lit up bright blue eyes.

"Until Friday, Andréa."

Then, before Andy could answer her, she swept away down the hall.

Which was just as well, because Andy was left rather speechless after the way that smooth voice had said her name.

_Andréa._

Andy blinked, trying hard to get her breath back.

_Holy shit._


	2. Past & Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all of you who commented! It's so encouraging and inspiring to read your reviews, I couldn't wait to write a second chapter! Let me know how you like this one, your comments keep me going :) x

It was 6:30, and Andy was just about ready to go home. She glanced once again at her wristwatch, and blew her bangs away from her eyes in annoyance. Her clients were rarely ever late, and if they were they usually made the effort to send a text letting her know. She supposed Miranda did not have her phone number, so Andy could not really hold it against her. She made a mental note to give Miranda her contact details in case she ever needed it.

With nothing else to do, Andy got up and went to the corner of the room towards her brewing area. Putting water to boil, she set about making herself a cup of tea. There was no point in going to an empty apartment, anyways. She loved her studio. It was not only relaxing for her patients, but for her as well. Any time she felt stressed or anxious, she always came here. The plants, the tea, the large windows that let in rays of light, the smell of incense in the air - everything seemed to soothe and comfort her.

Andy was a great therapist, but being so devoted to her job and helping others sometimes brought a certain lonely feeling that would wrap around her like a thick blanket, suffocating her. Whenever she felt this way, she would try her best to move past it, arranging to meet with friends, or calling a loved one, or even just going for a wander in central park. But sometimes she allowed herself to embrace the feeling, and instead of letting it bring her down, she would make her loneliness into something calming and soothing. Andy was a firm believer that all emotions should be embraced - even the so-called 'bad' ones. What's important is how we deal with our emotions. Feeling was a big part of being human, after all.

With her cup of herbal tea in hand, she grabbed one of her favourite books off the shelf - _The Price of Salt_ by Patricia Highsmith - and made her way to the couch. Setting the cup of tea on the coffee table next to the burning incense, she relaxed back into the thick cushions and wrapped the maroon wool blanket around herself, making herself comfortable to do some leisure reading. Just as she opened the book, the doorbell rang. Andy sighed and glanced at her watch. 6:40 pm. _Better late than never, I suppose._

Quickly making her way to the door, she opened it to reveal Miranda on the other side, dressed in a dark grey pant suit and cerulean blouse, posture as tense as always and eyes laser sharp. Without a word of greeting, she pushed past Andy and stormed into the waiting area, making a leeway to the main room. Andy rolled her eyes and followed her before putting on a pleasant smile and doing her best to get into work mode.

When she entered the room Miranda was standing beside the sofa, looking down at the open book and hot cup of tea on the table, and the blanket still sprawled across the sofa. Looking sideways at Andy as she walked in, Miranda raised an eyebrow in question.

"I didn't know if you were coming or not," Andy said. She watched as a faint blush painted Miranda's cheeks, and Andy wanted to smack herself for her poor wording choice. "I figured I might as well relax."

"I was busy at work," Miranda said flatly, almost as if reflexively. Interesting.

Andy shrugged, giving an understanding smile before quickly folding the blanket and placing it over the armrest, then moving the book to the desk across the room, and picking up her cup of tea.

"Would you like some?" She asked, raising her cup slightly as indication.

Miranda narrowed her eyes at the cup.

"It's green herbal tea," Andy explained. "Great for the digestive system. I just fixed a pot."

"Fine," said Miranda with a wave of her fingers.

Quickly fixing another cup, Andy returned to the main area of the room, offering the cup to Miranda, who had already sat down on the sofa. "Here you go."

Miranda looked at her, then at the cup, and nodded her thanks before reaching for it. Andy tried not to react visibly when Miranda's forefinger fleetingly brushed against her pinkie, and she immediately pushed away any thoughts of how soft the older woman's skin felt. Quickly moving away, Andy made a beeline for her armchair, settling in and taking a calming sip of her tea, trying to settle her thoughts.

"So - "

"It didn't work."

Andy's mouth snapped shut. Miranda was glaring at the cup in her hands, as if it was the tea's fault, but then she raised her eyes towards Andy as if demanding an explanation. Andy gave a nod, and settled back, making sure her notebook and pen were by her side.

"Right. That's perfectly fine. It was only a first attempt - "

"How can I be expected to feel comfortable with that plastic _thing_ making that horrible buzzing noise? How can anyone feel anything but mortified when reaching down there while their husband is - is - " Miranda snapped her mouth shut, jaw tense, and looked away with a deep scowl on her face.

Andy swallowed, noting that Miranda seemed more worked up than last week. She focused on relaxing her body as much as possible, knowing that talking to Miranda would be very much like approaching a scared dear. The less threatening Andy seemed, the less Miranda would want to flee.

"I understand, Miranda, I do," she said in the calmest tone she could muster without making it sound like she was talking pitifully to a child. "It's perfectly normal, toys are not for everyone. Don't worry, we can talk about it and come up with another option, okay?"

Miranda exhaled sharply through her nose, but nodded and finally let herself lean back against the sofa cushions.

"If you're alright with it, I'd like to ask you some more questions about your sexual history, so that I can really understand how to help you. Is that okay?"

Another nod.

"Alright. Do you masturbate?"

Blue eyes widened, and the pink blush made another appearance. Andy caught a small twitch near Miranda's right eyebrow, and realised the older woman was very uncomfortable and trying not to show it.

"Hey, it's okay," Andy said with a warm smile. "This is completely confidential, and, believe me, I talk about these things pretty much all day. It's perfectly natural. If you want, I can answer my own questions too so that you're not the only one sharing? I do that quite often and it usually helps my clients feel more comfortable. Would you like that?"

Miranda gave a small nod, but Andy caught the slight lifting of the corner of her lips, and Andy had to take a sip of tea before her mind could freak out about the fact that she had almost gotten a smile from Miranda Priestly. The minimal research she had done on the woman only showed how the press made her into this evil monster, and Andy had not believed a word on it so she decided she'd much rather learn from the source itself.

"Okay. I'll start. I masturbate quite a lot. Each person is different and not everyone will have the same sex drive, but I tend to do it pretty much every day." Andy tried not to laugh at the expression of bewilderment on the other woman's face. Clearly, masturbating daily was a shocking notion for her. Or maybe talking so freely about it. "What about you?"

Clearing her throat, Miranda lifted her chin, almost as if forcing her body language to show a confidence she didn't internally feel. "I don't do it often, no. Usually I'm too busy working, and sometimes it just turns out to be... pointless."

Andy made a quick note of this.

"Fair enough. When was the last time you had an orgasm, self-induced or otherwise?"

Miranda closed her eyes, as if praying for strength. When she opened her eyes, she looked pointedly at Andy and raised her eyebrows.

"Oh! Right, sorry. My last orgasm was last night, actually," Andy said with a smirk as she watched both Miranda's eyebrows rise in something akin to surprise. "Self-induced," she added for good measure, which rewarded her with a huff in response. "What about you?"

A small silence passed as Miranda swallowed thickly and looked down at the cup of tea cradled by her hands on her lap. "About 6 months. Give or take."

Andy was glad Miranda was not looking at her, because she was unable to hide her reaction as her eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror. 6 _months_? No wonder she was always so tense. And now Andy understood why she was desperate enough to seek a therapist when it was clearly akin to torture for the other woman to speak about these things. Quickly composing herself, Andy mentally shook herself.

"And was it self-induced?"

Miranda looked up at her and gave her a look that clearly said, _"what do you think, idiot?"_ Andy smiled indulgently and inclined her head in acknowledgement before taking a note of this new information.

"Alright. How many sexual partners have you had? I've had eleven. Four men, seven women."

This time the surprise on the older woman's face was unabashedly clear before she managed to revert back to her unreadable mask, and Andy nearly chuckled.

"Seven," Miranda said, "All men."

This definitely surprised Andy, but she hid it well. Miranda seemed to be in her late forties, perhaps early fifties. Usually people that age had more partners in their sexual history, but then again there was never a correct number. Andy figured that what really surprised her was that a woman as attractive and successful as Miranda had only had seven partners.

"And were any of them able to pleasure you sexually?"

Miranda frowned, and seemed to be thinking hard about her answer.

"Three of them were okay, I suppose. Nothing spectacular, but it wasn't bad. My two husbands have rarely made it... enjoyable for me. And the other two were mistakes, so I would rather not talk about them."

Andy blinked, processing the information before writing it down. "That's alright. It's perfectly fine to set boundaries, but the more I know the better I can help you. Let's move on, have you ever - "

"Not so fast. You didn't answer the question."

Andy looked up from her notes and saw Miranda looking at her expectantly. Oh. "Well, yes, most of them have been able to please me. I would say ten out of the eleven."

"And the last one?" Miranda asked, tilting her head slightly, curiosity clear on her face. Andy tried not to think how adorable she looked like that. Almost like a puppy. A fashionable, intimidating puppy. "I would have thought that someone in your field would have the healthiest sex life possible."

Andy cleared her throat and looked away in embarrassment. "The last one I was too drunk to remember. Bad night. Rather not talk about it."

Miranda nodded at her with an open expression, almost as if in understanding.

Clearing her throat again, Andy took another sip of tea, letting it soothe its way down her throat, making her feel centred again. "Okay, next question. Have you ever had any fantasies?"

Miranda blushed, more deeply than any other time, and she looked away, taking a gulp of her tea almost as if trying to distract herself from the question. Clearly the woman was beyond uncomfortable, so Andy decided to cut her some slack.

"I personally have a pretty big repertoire. I've had fantasies about having sex on the beach, in an office, with a masked stranger, on a rooftop under the stars. I've had fantasies about public sex, some light s&m, and a great deal of women. Cate Blanchett is a particular favourite of mine. Oh! And a few threesomes here and there. What about you?"

Miranda was looking at her with shocked eyes and gaping mouth, and expression Andy wished she could engrave in her mind, because she had never seen a less dignified and composed expression on the woman before. Then Miranda blinked and seemed to shake herself.

"Well, as I said, I don't masturbate much, but I suppose I've had a few fantasies. Most of the time I don't really focus on the other person, but I do remember having a few images of having sex with - um - women, I suppose."

Keeping a straight face took a herculean effort, so Andy distracted herself by taking a note of this. To her surprise, Miranda continued speaking.

"But I have never felt attracted to a woman in real life. And as I said, I rarely have fantasies, least of all the past few years."

That caught Andy's attention.

"Why do you think that is? Why have these past few years been different?"

Miranda rolled her eyes as if she was dealing with the most incompetent fool she had ever met. "My body has changed a great deal. I don't look the way I used to when I was younger." She shrugged, and began to play with her necklace. "And my husband has made sure I know this. It is difficult to have sex in mind when you feel so... old and unattractive."

" _What?_ " Andy blurted before she could stop herself, not even managing to hide her disbelief.

Miranda's eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. "I said - "

"No, I know what you said. I apologise, that was a very unprofessional reaction. And I'm sorry if I'm speaking way out of line here but, Miranda, I don't know what your husband has told you to make you believe you look old and unattractive because that is utter bullshit." Andy saw Miranda's eyebrows shoot up and she jerked back, almost as if Andy's words had physically shocked her.

"Oh."

They stared at each other for a moment, Andy trying to pull herself together and get back into her professional boundaries, Miranda trying to process the young woman's words and trying to hide the blush that was quickly rising up her chest onto her cheeks. Damn her pale complexion.

Andy cleared her throat and shook her head, looking back at her notes. "Anyways, it's completely normal to have a decrease in sex drive at certain stages in life. We can't expect to always have the same desires and amount of sexual drive, can we? It's completely natural." She smiled, hoping to come across as comforting and not as if she was laughing at the older woman.

By the way Miranda's eyes softened and her lips curled up into a small smile, Andy guessed her message had been received.

"Okay, last question, I promise. And then we can talk a little more about your husband and you, if you're up for it. Have you ever experimented sexually?" At Miranda's confused frown, Andy clarified. "Have you ever tried new things with your partners? Brought in toys, tried role playing, taken sex outside the bedroom, experimented with kinks, tried anything that was different than the missionary position?"

Miranda blinked, and it was enough answer for Andy. She smiled reassuringly and made a quick note of it before sitting up and gesturing towards Miranda's empty cup.

"Would you like another one?"

Miranda shook her head and handed Andy the cup. Andy tried to quench the disappointment she felt when their fingers didn't brush. She rushed to the brewing area, putting their empty cups on the side to be washed later. As she made her way back to her seat, she mentally scolded herself for wishing to have physical contact with a client. Especially a _married_ one who was clearly in a great deal of turmoil in her marriage. Andy really needed to get her shit together.

"Right," Andy said, sitting back down and easing back into the cushions, welcoming the comfort and warmth. "What about you and your husband? Have you ever spoken about your sex life?"

Miranda shook her head.

"Has he ever talked to you about his fantasies, his desires, his turn-ons? Or has he ever asked you about yours?"

Again, Miranda shook her head, and Andy watched as she began to play with her bracelet again the same way she had last week.

" I apologise in advance if the question offends you, but believe me, it's a common question I ask all my patients with partners. Has he ever been unfaithful?"

Miranda immediately went stiff as a board, her eyes lowered to the coffee table before her, and her jaw seemed to clench so hard Andy was surprised she did not hear her teeth shatter. She waited in silence, feeling like Miranda had to express herself without interruption at her own pace. All this stress in one body clearly showed that Miranda did not express her emotions very often, and that was very important for one's sex drive. Everything was connected: if one's mind and soul are at peace, then the body is at peace. If the body feels that way, then it can respond better to pleasure. Andy closed her notebook and set her hands on her lap, feeling like this was something Miranda would not like Andy to write about. Andy calmly breathed deeply as she waited.

"Yes." Miranda rasped, and Andy truthfully was not surprised. A man that makes no effort to please his wife, and also makes her feel like there is something wrong with her or her body cannot be a very faithful gentleman.

When Andy realised that Miranda would offer no further information, she decided to speak.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

Another stretch of silence filled the room as Andy watched Miranda watch the coffee table.

"He doesn't know I know. I've caught him a few times coming home very late at night, smelling of alcohol and women's perfume. I've seen some of his shirts with lipstick stains on the necklines. One time I even found a pair of underwear in the guest bedroom, and it certainly was not mine." Miranda let out a huff of breath, and then went silent, looking lost in thought.

After a few more moments, Andy continued questioning further. "How long have you known?"

"About nine months now."

Andy was surprised. It was uncommon for someone to be aware of their partner's infidelity for nine months without doing anything about it, or even acknowledging it with their partner.

"May I ask why you have not confronted him about it?"

Finally, Miranda raised her eyes to meet Andy's, and in the blue depths there was a deep melancholy that threatened to break Andy's heart in two.

"My girls. I can't put them through another divorce. Not again. They've been through so much already - " Miranda's voice caught, and she looked away again.

Andy swallowed, trying to keep professional even though her gut told her to go to the woman and take her in her arms, give her comfort, and tell her _he does not deserve you_. Instead she clenched her hands and took a fortifying breath.

"Is he their father?"

"No. Their father is Greg, my first husband. Stephen has been their stepfather for nearly three years now."

"And are they happy?"

Miranda's head snapped up, and her eyes turned dark in a way that made Andy's stomach drop. Clearly she had said something wrong.

"How dare you question my daughters' happiness?" Miranda's voice was low and cold as ice, and the brutal effect it had on Andy made the young woman almost tremble. "Do you think I would not try my hardest to make them happy? Do you think I'm so _heartless_ that I would neglect my own children?" Miranda spat, her words seething with so much contempt that Andy felt her throat close up the way it always did before she cried.

"What? Miranda - "

"How _dare_ you judge me when you don't even know me? Who do you think you are?" Miranda stood up brusquely, grabbing her purse and making her way around the coffee table and towards the doorway. "Clearly I have been wasting my time here - "

"Miranda, wait!" Andy said, jumping from her seat and grabbing the older woman's wrist, keeping her in place.

Miranda whirled around, and looked down at the hand holding her wrist as if she had never seen anything like it before. She looked up into Andy's eyes, her rage and shock evident in her sharp eyes.

"Miranda, whatever you interpreted from that question, I am deeply sorry for the misunderstanding. I was in no way questioning your parenting, I do not think you're heartless. Far from it. You're here, spending your time doing something that clearly is way out of your comfort zone, just to make your marriage work. I'm sure you love your children more than anything. It was never my intention to question that, I'm sorry."

Miranda looked from Andy's face to the hand still gently clasped around her wrist, then back up to her face again. The terrible darkness had left blue eyes, but she still looked sceptical.

"Please, stay. Let's talk about this, okay? I promise, I'm here to help you, not judge you in any way."

That seemed to be the right thing to say, because Miranda's shoulders lost some of their stiffness, and she left out a deep breath before nodding slightly and making her way back to the sofa. Andy's fingertips tingled even after she released Miranda's wrist.

"Okay, let me try that again. Does _Stephen_ make them happy?"

Miranda blinked in surprise, as if she had never even thought about the question.

"I think so. Or at least I'd like to think he does. When I told them I was marrying him they didn't really react. They just accepted it and did not comment upon it. These past few years they have been rather... rebellious. Especially towards my assistants, they have a knack for pranking them." At this, Miranda's lips twitched as if hiding a proud smile, and Andy had to supress a grin just at the sight of it. But then Miranda frowned and her face became serious again. "I suppose, now that I think about it, they may not love him as much as a child should love their step parent. They hardly spend time together just the three of them, and a lot of the time they don't even talk to him all that much. But I suppose that can be due to their age. They've just turned thirteen, after all. Puberty is hardly parent-friendly, is it?" Miranda shrugged a shoulder, and then went quiet.

Andy gazed at her for several moments, trying to figure out where to go from here, and how to avoid messing up like she had just a moment ago. She did not want to push Miranda away, or make her feel like she was responsible for any grief her children may have. Obviously Miranda saw that Andy had something to say, because she rolled her eyes and said, "What?"

Andy gathered courage, and went right for it.

"Do you think that maybe they would be happier without a step father?" When Miranda's eyes narrowed, Andy jumped in to clarify. "Just, hypothetically, for the sake of talking about this more in depth. Imagine if Stephen had never come into the picture. What do you think they would be like now?"

Miranda tilted her head again in that puppy dog way, and she put her tongue in her cheek before vocalising her thoughts. "Well, Greg and I divorced when they were five years old. They took it hard at first, of course, but they soon adapted and we were happy, the three of us. I got us Patricia, our St Bernard, and we were happy. Even though I worked a lot, we were a family." Miranda smiled, and her eyes got lost in reminiscences for a moment before she continued. "When they were ten I met Stephen, and I felt that having a father figure would make our family more complete. So I married him. And from that point onward the girls began to grow more distant. Cassidy began to act out at school, and Caroline spent most of her days reading and ignoring everything around her. I started working more, and..." She drifted off, her eyes lost and brow furrowed, her lips turning down into a near scowl.

Andy gave her a few moments to process this realisation. It seemed that Miranda had to talk about this to truly figure out that perhaps Stephen was not the best option for neither her nor her daughters. Andy did not know him personally, but from the way he treated Miranda, she knew enough. And from what Miranda just told Andy, it seemed that Miranda's children might be better off without him too.

"Miranda," she said softly, and the older woman looked up at her, looking lost and alone. Andy hated the sight. "May I speak freely?" Miranda nodded slightly, and Andy leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and looking deeply into attentive blue eyes, hoping that her own were as sincere as they could be. "From what you just told me, it seems to me that you were a complete family just the three of you, and Patricia." Miranda blinked slowly, as if this was the first time she had even considered the notion. "Not every family has to be the way society has told you they should be. Sometimes, the most loving families are the ones that don't follow the norm. From a psychological perspective, it seems to me that your daughters were much happier before Stephen entered the picture, do you think that might be true?" Andy paused, letting Miranda absorb her words. "I don't personally know your daughters, so I'm speaking hypothetically here, but maybe all your daughters need is _you_."

Miranda blinked again, and then looked away, lost in thought once again. Andy waited patiently, but she had a feeling the session was over. Glancing at the clock hanging on the wall opposite her, she realised they had been here for well over an hour, and it was nearly 8 pm. She looked back at Miranda. The older woman was still deep in thought, her brow furrowed once again so that a wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows, and when she unconsciously started to run her index finger across her lower lip, Andy knew she had to do something or she would not be able to keep her sanity.

As quietly and seamlessly as possible, she stood from the chair and went about the room, blowing out the candles sitting on the shelves and the desk, and then she set about gathering all her things to take home with her - notebook, novel, phone, coat, bag. Once she had everything she hung her things on the hook by the door and once again took her seat in the armchair facing the couch.

"Miranda?"

The older woman finally seemed to come back to herself and she looked up at Andy, then down at her wristwatch.

"Oh. Right. I need to get home, I promised my daughters we would have a movie night tonight."

Andy smiled at that. "That sounds like a lovely evening."

Miranda nodded and stood, grabbing her purse and smoothing down her pantsuit. Andy tried not to think about how good the outfit looked on the other woman, or how the top few buttons of the shirt were left undone, leaving a fair expanse of smooth skin on display.

"Stephen is away for the weekend on a business trip. Although God knows what kind of business he's getting up to." She smirked humorously at Andy, as if Stephen's infidelity had become a sort of inside joke, and even though Andy knew it was unprofessional, she could not help grinning back. How could she not, when Miranda's eyes were twinkling like that, and when her mouth was curved in such a lovely way? It made Andy feel special, and she hated it. This is a _client_ , not a friend, or anything else for that matter. Andy would be good to remember that.

"How much is it?" Miranda asked, reaching into her purse for her wallet.

"Oh, um," Andy stuttered. She always felt awkward at this point, because to be perfectly honest, Andy didn't really do it for the money. Especially not with Miranda. She was quickly becoming Andy's most intriguing client, even though she was probably the most complex case Andy had studied in the past several months. "It's a hundred and twenty dollars an hour." Without even batting an eyelid, Miranda gave her three hundred dollars, which caused Andy to pause in confusion. "Um, Miranda? This is too much."

"Nonsense. I came here last week without an appointment and I did not pay you for the session, nor the, um, _toy_. And I'm well aware you spent more than an hour of your time with me today."

Andy blinked, but Miranda arched an eyebrow as if challenging her. Something told her that whatever Miranda wanted, Miranda got.

"Alright, if you're sure. Thanks." Miranda waved off her thanks, and Andy slipped the money into her bag with a grin.

"Same time next week?" Andy asked as they made their way out of the room and across the waiting area towards the front door.

"I will have to check with my assistant, she's the one who really knows my schedule in detail."

"No problem," said Andy, reaching into her pocket and giving Miranda her card. "Here are my details, you can call or text any time."

Miranda took it, and the way she looked at Andy made her feel warm inside.

"Thank you, Andrea."

Andy's heart stopped for a millisecond, and to hide her blush she moved forward to open the door for her _client_.

"You're more than welcome. See you next time, Miranda," Andy said with a warm smile.

"Goodbye," Miranda said, gave Andy her own rare, small smile, and then left, leaving a faint scent of light, delicious perfume behind.

Andy shut the door and leaned her head against it, taking a deep breath.

_What the hell am I getting myself into?_


	3. Scotch and Dragon Ladies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all you lovely readers who take the time to comment, you guys inspire my muse. Please let me know your thoughts - reading your comments is what keeps me going! Hope you enjoy x
> 
> I feel like I should say: I have never actually studied psychology, and I have a very basic understanding of sexology.  
> This is all just fun with a dash of personal experience and beliefs :)

Andy jerked into consciousness, not sure what exactly had made her startle awake. Blinking and shaking her head, she finally heard the reason for waking up: her phone was ringing. Glancing at her alarm clock, she groaned when she saw it was 2 am. Sitting up, she grabbed her phone off the nightstand and took the call.

"H'llo?" She mumbled, covering up a yawn and rubbing her eyes, trying to wake herself up enough to have a relatively normal human conversation.

"Andréa."

Andy was awake immediately.

"Miranda? Is everything okay?"

There was a long silence on the other end of the line, before Miranda's quiet voice finally said, "No."

Andy bit her lip. It was Sunday night - or Monday morning, as it were - and she had not expected to hear from Miranda so soon after her appointment.

"What happened?" She asked softly, trying her best to sound comforting.

"My husband. He came home from his _business_ trip a few hours ago. He was drunk. Again. He wanted-" Andy heard the older woman take a shuddering breath. "He wanted to sleep with me, but when he got near I could smell another woman on him." Andy clenched her jaw. Seriously, why were men like this? "I refused him, and he got furious. I've never seen him like that before."

Andy curled her hand into a fist around her duvet, trying to calmly breathe through the sinking feeling that weighed heavily on her chest.

"Miranda? Did he do anything?"

"No." Miranda said, but the slight tremble in her voice conveyed she was more shaken up than she was willing to say. "No, he didn't hurt me, nothing like that. He would never do that. He just said some things and I-" There was another sigh. "Would you mind if we schedule a session today?"

"Of course, Miranda. My last appointment ends at 7 so I'm available after that, or I have two free hours from one till three, whenever is convenient for you."

"I think I'm free at one, I will text you tomorrow morning when I know for certain."

"Absolutely, no problem. Do you want to talk more now, or would you rather speak in person tomorrow?"

There was a small silence, and Andy felt like that was enough of an answer.

"Where is he now?" She asked.

"In the guest room, of course."

This surprised Andy. _Of course?_

"Does he usually stay in the guest room?"

"Yes, he moved there about a year ago." Interesting, but maybe not entirely surprising.

"Do you mind me asking why?"

"I find it difficult to sleep with other people. I tolerated it because I did not want the girls thinking there was anything wrong, but eventually it got too tiring, and Stephen said he wanted his own space in the house, so he sleeps there."

Andy resisted the urge to sigh in exasperation. It seemed obvious to Andy that there were far greater problems in their marriage than just their sex life if they couldn't even sleep together in the same room.

"Do you do any yoga or meditation?"

There was a short silence on the other end of the line. Andy got a feeling that Miranda had not expected the question.

"I used to do yoga, yes. But I stopped doing it in order to do pilates instead."

"Why did you decide to make that change?"

"I loved yoga, but with my body aging I needed a more rigorous exercise to keep my shape."

"I see," said Andy, trying to push away the nagging voice in her head that said Miranda had a terrific figure anyways. "Have you considered combining the two? I do yoga regularly and it deeply helps with my well being and my peace of mind."

"I would, but I don't have the time. I'm a very busy woman."

"I understand." There was a short silence, as Andy did not know where to take the conversation from here. It was difficult reading the other woman without actually being able to see her. "Do you usually stay up so late?"

Miranda made what sounded almost like a chuckle, and Andy had to clench her fist again to keep from melting right on the spot.

"Unfortunately, yes. My work is very demanding, and I've suffered from insomnia since before my girls were born."

Andy reached over to her nightstand, grabbed her pen and notebook, and quickly wrote down everything she had learned about Miranda during this conversation.

"I know what that’s like. Insomnia can be a pain, huh?"

Miranda hummed. "Indeed."

Andy smiled, and there was a comfortable silence, as if they were sharing something mutual. Andy had no idea what else to say.

"I should probably let you go back to sleep. I imagine you have a very busy day tomorrow," Miranda said softly.

"Not as busy as yours, I imagine. I hope you get some rest," Andy said, trailing her fingers over the pattern of her duvet.

"I hope so too," Miranda let out an almost imperceptible sigh, but Andy heard it nonetheless.

"Miranda?" Andy said, feeling a strange impulse to give the other woman comfort.

"Yes?"

"Everything is going to be okay. We'll work this out, and things will get better. I promise."

There was a short silence as Andy held her breath.

"Thank you, Andrea," Miranda murmured so softly Andy was barely able to hear it.

"Good night, Miranda."

"Good night."

There was a click on the other line, and Andy dropped her phone back on her nightstand. She flopped back down and rubbed her face with her hands, groaning.

The next two hours were spent rolling awake in bed, thoughts of Miranda plaguing her mind.

 

.....-.....

 

One o'clock came much quicker than Andy had expected, and before she knew it she was opening the door to let Miranda into her studio. Today she wore a black dress with a wide belt across the middle, and an array of necklaces that Andy was sure Miranda would use to fidget with. Andy tried her best not to let her eyes wander to Miranda's chest so beautifully adorned, or down to her shapely calves that ended in enticing ankles above five inch heels.

Andy swallowed. "Miranda! Good to see you. Come in."

Miranda walked into the room, and Andy had to smile triumphantly. This was the first time they had exchanged niceties instead of Miranda simply barging in. Clearly last Friday's session had made the woman more comfortable around Andy. Or perhaps she had simply realised that Andy genuinely wanted to help her. Andy hoped both were true.

They sat in their usual places, and Andy noticed with satisfaction that this time Miranda did not hesitate to lean back against the plush sofa, even though her posture was as rigid as always.

"Tea?"

Miranda shook her head, so Andy sat in her seat quietly, letting Miranda initiate this session. Perhaps her having control over the conversation would make her feel more comfortable.

"Last night," Miranda said, clearing her throat lightly and already fidgeting with her necklaces. "Stephen came home late, and I knew he had been with another woman. He was drunk, as he so often is lately. He grabbed me and I pushed him away, and when he continued to insist, I pushed him so hard he nearly fell. That's when he started screaming that I-" Miranda swallowed thickly, and Andy watched her intently, giving Miranda all her attention. "That I'm a frigid bitch. He said it was no wonder nobody loves me, and that maybe I should go see a psychiatrist to deal with my issues."

Andy sucked in a breath before closing her eyes and counting to ten. It was moments like this that she hated her job. There were so many ruthless, cruel people in the world, and sometimes Andy felt completely useless, because she knew that no matter how hard she worked, or how many hours she devoted to helping others, she could not erase the evil in the world, let alone her clients' lives. When she opened her eyes, Miranda was watching her thoughtfully with an expression Andy could not entirely decipher.

"And what did you respond?" Andy watched as Miranda lifted her chin in a proud gesture and the corner of her mouth twitched as an amused twinkle appeared in her blue eyes.

"I told him that if he was better in bed, perhaps he wouldn't find me so frigid."

Andy's mouth dropped open, and she couldn't help but letting out a guffaw before slapping her hand across her mouth, trying to muffle a laugh. To her pleasure, Miranda's expression became even more amused, and Andy nearly lost her breath when the older woman gave a lopsided grin before pursing her lips. Yet her eyes shone with mirth, and Andy realised she was trying not to laugh. She tried not to melt. Andy took a deep breath, trying to pull herself together.

"Wow. Sorry, but that was probably the best response you could have possibly given."

"I am by no means a passive damsel," Miranda said, her voice lowering slightly and sounding just a little bit dangerous.

"I never thought you were," Andy said, smiling, and Miranda seemed to fill up with pride again. "So, what happened after that?"

The amusement was gone almost as quickly as it had come, and Miranda became serious once more. Blue eyes lost focus, and Andy saw a melancholy there that made her want to go up to this Stephen guy and give him a few serious words. Or punches.

"He said that maybe if I was more lovable and less of a workaholic bitch he would find me more attractive," Miranda shrugged with one shoulder, but Andy could see that Stephen's words hurt. "Then he stormed off and locked himself in his room. I haven't seen him since."

Andy stayed quiet, feeling like Miranda was not quite finished. A moment later, she was rewarded with a deep sigh that seemed to come from the very depths of Miranda's being.

"I don't think there's going back from this. I think... I think I better speak to my girls. I have no doubt that eventually Stephen is going to file for a divorce, and after last night's events, I have a feeling it will happen sooner rather than later."

Miranda fell silent, and Andy couldn't witness her defeated posture any longer. She got up and went to the desk at the other end of the room. Opening the right hand drawer, she extracted two glasses and a bottle of scotch her father had given her for her birthday before walking back towards the sitting area, where she decided to sit on the couch instead of her usual place. After filling both glasses with a fair amount of the amber liquid, she handed one to Miranda. At the raised eyebrow she received, Andy smiled widely and lifted her class in cheers.

"To new beginnings then."

Miranda blinked, and her face and shoulders seemed to relax before clinking her glass to Andy's and taking a sip of the drink, humming in delight at the quality and smoothness of it. Andy took a sip of her own drink, lowering her eyes and trying not to visibly react to Miranda's response to the scotch.

"He hasn't divorced me _yet_." Miranda said good-naturedly.

Andy chuckled. "Why are you waiting for him to do it? He's the one that has been unfaithful."

Miranda tilted her head, considering this. "I don't know. I think, perhaps, he would make the divorce process easier if he felt like he's the one who walked out."

Andy hummed in acknowledgement, then huffed, shaking her head. "Men and their egos."

"I'll drink to that," Miranda mumbled, before taking a generous swallow.

"So, what now?" Asked Andy, afraid of the answer. If Miranda no longer had a husband, perhaps she would no longer need a sex therapist. Andy decided she didn't like that thought.

"You tell me. You're the therapist, aren't you?"

Andy grinned. How had talking to this woman become so easy, so quickly? Andy had thought it would take a lot more for the woman to relax in her presence. Apparently not.

"Well, it depends on you. Would you like to continue the sessions even after the divorce?"

Miranda paused, looking at her glass thoughtfully before raising her face to look directly at Andy.

"Yes, I think I'd like that."

Andy smiled. "Good."

Miranda's lips quirked, and Andy felt a weight lifted off her shoulders.

 _Good_.

 

.....-.....

They continued sipping their drinks in comfortable silence, and Andy relaxed into the sofa. She could feel the tingling of the alcohol making her feel lighter, and by the way Miranda had slumped back, finally allowing herself to relax against the cushions as if all the tension had left her body, Andy guessed the older woman was feeling much the same. Andy couldn't deny that in some cases alcohol was far more helpful than herbal tea. After several quiet moments of each woman being lost in their own thoughts, Miranda spoke.

"How did you end up here?" Andy frowned in confusion, and Miranda rolled her eyes. "Why did you decide to become a sex therapist? It's not a very common career choice, is it?"

Andy bit her lip and took a moment to think about her answer.

"After I turned 18," she began, slowly, considering her words. "It started to annoy me how some people had this closed-off attitude towards sex, as if it was something dirty and secret, as if it wasn't the most natural thing between two people who share an attraction, or love. I hated how people shamed women especially, simply for liking sexual pleasure. I never understood what was so bad about seeking that and being happy and comfortable in your sexuality." She paused, biting her lip as she thought about what she was going to say next. "When I came out as bisexual, some people started treating me different. As if my sexuality was a lie, as if I was a whore that liked to have sex with everything that moved. It made me angry because such a close-minded attitude is simply immature, and even if I _did_ have sex with a lot of people, so what? I didn't understand all these prejudices. And then I began to realise that these kinds of attitudes eventually affects people's ability to speak freely about a very important subject, to the point where many live their life without a healthy sex life, all because society is afraid to talk about it and teach people how to take care of ourselves regarding this very basic, natural thing." Andy stopped, realising she was rambling, and looked up to see Miranda watching her attentively. The older woman clearly saw her hesitation, because she nodded in a gesture to continue. "So I went to university and got a degree in psychology, and then got a masters in sexology. From there it took me about two years to get to where I am now, building a reputation for myself, writing, doing research... I love my job, but what I love most is knowing that I've had a positive impact on someone's life, that I've helped them feel better about themselves and have healthier relationships."

Miranda's face softened, but her eyes never left Andy's. "You have helped me."

Andy couldn't stop the brilliant smile that took over her face, and her heart jumped when Miranda gave a small smile in return. "That's good. I'm glad."

There was another short silence as Andy's mind raced. Whatever she had thought of Miranda when they had first met, it was fading away the more she got to know the other woman. She was anything but a scared deer. She'd had terrible luck with the men she chose, yes, but it seemed clear to Andy that she had an incredibly strong will and resilience, and such a deep love for her daughters that she married a douche bag, and then put herself through therapy to make that marriage work. Andy found her inspiring, and the more she learned about the woman, the more she wanted to find out.

"You know, you still haven't actually told me what you do," Andy said, twisting sideways and leaning her elbow against the back of the couch so she could prop her head on her fist.

"Oh, you haven't figured it out yet? I would have guessed that someone as thorough as you would have done some googling at least." Miranda said, but the warmth in her eyes let Andy know she was merely teasing.

Andy shrugged. "I'd rather learn for myself. Other people's opinions are their own, and often useless."

"Ah," Miranda nodded. "So you've read some of the things the press says about me."

Andy grinned and raised an eyebrow, imitating an expression she had seen on Miranda multiple times now. " _Dragon Lady?_ "

Miranda raised an eyebrow as well, copying the expression, but looking far more regal and intimidating than Andy could ever hope to achieve. "Indeed."

"I think there's more to you than meets the eye. I highly doubt the press knows you all that well."

Miranda waved her hand, and Andy was entranced by the rings that adorned elegant long fingers. "They see what I want them to see."

"Ohh," Andy said, snapping her fingers comically as if she'd just had a brilliant revelation. "So it's an act."

"Not exactly. Some things are true. I'm well aware I'm very serious and even ruthless when it comes to my job. But I would not be where I am without such strictness. If my employees cannot complete their tasks adequately, then they should not be employed."

Andy nodded. "Fair enough. I bet if you were a man, the only thing people would see is how great a boss you are."

Miranda hummed, her eyebrows raised as if it were the first time she had heard anyone say this to her face.

"You still haven't actually told me what you do, though. Is it a secret?" Andy teased. Not knowing where this courage or playfulness was coming from, she leaned forward with a comically awed expression. "Are you a spy? I could totally see you doing the whole James Bond lifestyle."

Miranda snorted and rolled her eyes. "Good God, no, don't be ridiculous." Andy chuckled, enjoying the light-hearted conversation. She had no idea when this session had turned into a more social chat, but she wasn't about to question it. "And it is most definitely not a secret. I'm the Editor in Chief of Runway."

Andy bit her lip, wrecking her brain to think back on where she had heard of that magazine before. "Oh! That's a fashion magazine, right? I've seen it several times in the stand where I usually buy the newspaper."

Miranda inclined her head. "That's the one. It is the best-selling fashion magazine in America, probably the world."

Andy raised her eyebrows and whistled. "And you're in charge of that, huh? Must be a great deal of responsibility."

"Thus, the long hours and busy life."

Andy nodded. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Everything I've seen you wear is beyond fashionable. I don't even want to think about the size of your wardrobe."

Miranda smirked. "Suffice to say, I had to make one of the guest bedrooms into a closet because I needed the extra space."

"Wow. That's - wow. I can't even imagine what your reaction would be if you saw my closet. It's tiny, and I've never really known much about fashion." Andy cringed. "I think you'd probably jump straight out the window if you saw some of the outfits I used to wear around campus when I was in college."

Miranda chuckled. "There is always room for improvement. And I've been told I can be highly critical. Or, in other words, 'bitchy'".

Andy gave a bark of laughter. "I will never understand the double standards people place on men and women doing their jobs. Talk about immaturity."

"You can say that again," Miranda drawled, and then caught sight of the clock on the wall. "Oh. Is that the time?"

Andy twisted around to look at the clock behind her, and had to force her jaw not to fall open. It was nearly 3 pm.

"Shoot! I have a client coming in ten minutes," she looked at Miranda apologetically, but she waved Andy off.

"It's perfectly fine. I’ve taken nearly two hours of your time, after all. I have a budget meeting to get to anyways. Although, to quote you, I would rather fling myself from a window."

Andy laughed and stood, gathering their empty glasses and the bottle, quickly putting them away before walking Miranda to the front door.

"Good luck with that," Andy said. "And, as you already know, you can call any time."

Miranda turned to face Andy under the threshold, handed her two hundred and forty dollars, and smiled warmly at Andy in a way that had her heart thudding in her chest.

"Thank you for this, Andrea." Her voice sounded so sincere and soft, Andy felt her cheeks warm in pleasure.

"Any time, Miranda."

The older woman nodded. "Goodbye."

"Bye," Andy said, raising her hand and giving a small wave as she watched Miranda turn and walk away.

Andy bit her lip, her mind racing over the past two hours, and closed her eyes.

_God help me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this chapter was okay! Drama coming soon as Miranda is swept up in turmoil. Will Andy be able to help or will Miranda close herself off entirely?


	4. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorryyyyy but I couldn't help teasing you guys just a little bit! Please don't hate me :)
> 
> It's a ridiculously short chapter, I know, but it's all I had time for and I'm feeling evil so I'm posting it anyways hehehe
> 
> What do you guys think will happen? Let me know in the comments, I might find inspiration for the next chapter ;)

Andy woke up late Tuesday morning. She didn't have any clients until 1 pm, so she had allowed herself a rare lie in. She stretched her limbs, feeling a few joints pop before letting herself fall limp back on the bed. Andy gave a deep sigh, enjoying the quiet of her apartment, basking in the sunlight streaming in through the window and the very faint sounds of traffic in the distance. It was nearly ten, so Andy reached for her phone to check on any new messages.

A text from her parents asking how things were going, which she answered quickly, and a text from Doug asking her if she was free for drinks later. So nothing that required her immediate attention. She tapped the Chrome app on her phone, and the page came up with the latest search.

She shot up, her body tensing then trembling, feeling her stomach drop, a sense of dread and panic suffocating her.

_Ice Queen drives away another Mr Priestly._

Heart pounding in her ears, Andy tapped open the article from Page Six.

_We called it folks! After three years of marriage, the latest Mr Priestly has finally had enough. For those of you living under a rock, this fallen hero is called Stephen Tomilson. Why hero? Because he had the guts to marry one Miranda Priestly, notorious Editor in Chief of Runway magazine, Dragon Lady extraordinaire. Why fallen? Because a little bird told us he is divorcing La Priestly once and for all._

_Our sources tell us that the Ice Queen is not only cold in her work demeanour, but also in the sheets! Can we really blame Mr Tomilson for finally walking out after three years of marriage to the most difficult Editor in the history of fashion? Not really. Read more of our exclusive little story on pages 6-8!_

Andy's phone fell from her limp hands. This could not be happening. How could the press be so cruel? How did they even find out-

 _Miranda_.

Andy snatched her phone back up, and with shaky fingers went on her phone call history. _Shit shit shit!_ Spotting Miranda's number, she pressed call and pressed it to her ear, closing her eyes. _Please pick up._

It rang for a mere two seconds before Andy was put straight to voicemail.

 _Fuck_.


	5. Courage & Rewards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because you guys are so nice, here is the next chapter. I couldn't keep you waiting for long, could I?
> 
> It's short, I know, I'm sorry! Unfortunately today has been very busy, so I didn't have much time to write it, but I wanted to give you a little more content anyways. 
> 
> Reading your comments is what makes me want to write more, so let me know what you think! :) x

Andy spent a good part of the morning trying to call Miranda, but every time she did she got put straight through to voice mail after only a few rings. Andy berated herself, scolding her ludicrous mind for making her so anxious over a client.

What if Miranda though _she_ had told the press? What if she thought that Andy was the _"very secret but very reliable source"_ that had given Page Six the information to humiliate and degrade Miranda? Andy had to take a deep breath just to keep from feeling nauseous. She hated feeling like this. And why the _fuck_ did Miranda refuse to take her calls? It was driving Andy crazy.

She needed to meditate. Clear her head. She had a client coming in an hour and a half, and if Andy didn't pull herself together she would be in no right state of mind to help anyone. Going to a small closet in the corner of the room, Andy took out a yoga mat before going to her desk drawer and getting a new stick of incense. After setting out the mat on the empty space between the back of the sofa and the huge desk, Andy lit the incense and sat in front of it on the floor, legs crossed and posture straight. Focusing on her breathing, she worked on relaxing her body and her mind, seeking to soothe her anxiety and clear her mind.

After half an hour of meditating, Andy felt slightly better, less torn up in turmoil. She was not sure if trying to call Miranda again was a particularly good idea, but she was in a better state of mind now, so Andy felt confident that she could handle it if Miranda didn't pick up, she would be able to deal with it.

Reaching for her phone, she dialled the number she had called seven times already. It rang once.

Twice.

Three times.

Andy's heart leapt as the dial tone stopped and she didn't hear the mechanical voicemail. Instead,

" _Stop_. _Calling_."

And then the monotone sound of rejection, as Andy sat with her phone still pressed to her ear, listening to the excruciating silence of Miranda.

She had sounded seething. Her voice had been the coldest Andy had ever heard it, and the dangerous timber hiding a dark rage made Andy's eyes sting.

Standing up, she slowly moved towards the couch, and then dropped limply onto it, her body suddenly feeling slack and heavy. How had this happened? How could Miranda think Andy could betray her trust - that Andy would go against her very basic rule of confidentiality and professionalism? How could Miranda think so little of her? Had their short time together really meant nothing? Had Miranda been blind to Andy this whole time?

Andy felt anger be swept into the mix of her chaotic emotions. The fact that Miranda would not even _talk_ to her made it worse. She had simply jumped to her conclusions without giving Andy a chance to prove that she had not done anything wrong. Andy took a deep breath, trying to calm her raging mind, and focusing on what she could do. There was no point in being angry at the other woman, Andy was still going to try to prove she was on Miranda's side. Even if it was just for the benefit of Miranda not suing the shit out of her for confidentiality breach.

A plan began forming in her mind, and Andy was finally able to relax, knowing that no matter what Miranda thought, Andy was going to prove her wrong.

 

.....-.....

 

Luckily for Andy, her last two clients of the day called to cancel last minute. Family emergencies and being stuck out of town due to a blizzard seemed like pretty good excuses, so Andy was out of the office by five. She made a quick stop by the cafeteria just down the street for her studio. There, she treated herself to a croissant, a cup of nice warm coffee, and a BLT sandwich. Tipping the waiter after finishing her dinner, Andy was out on the street again, heading towards the subway station.

Twenty minutes later, she stood in front of a tall building that seemed to be made entirely of glass, the sun reflecting off the surface in rays of evening light. According to Google, this was it. Andy felt the urge to flee, wondering if her plan may be a regrettable one, but then again, what did she have to lose?

Andy marched into the building, head held high in self-assured steps. She had learned long ago that, with confidence, a bright smile, and a little bit of luck Andy could get in to almost everywhere, an important skill she had learnt at college (trying to get into clubs under the age of 21 was a nightmare,after all). So Andy strode forward and managed to slip just behind someone who swiped past security as if she was meant to be there. When she'd reached the elevators, Andy allowed her mouth to gape slightly. That had been surprisingly easy. Despite her confidence, Andy had been pretty convinced things could go south very easily. What kind of security was that?

She rode the elevator up to the 17th floor, and when she stepped out she nearly lost her footing at the sight of the elegant white space that was Runway. With glass everywhere and a minimalistic design, Andy could easily imagine Miranda being the ruler of this place. She went to the front desk, where a tall, slender woman looked at her questioningly.

"May I help you?" The young blonde said, and Andy tried not to be put off by her lack of friendliness.

"Yes, I'm looking for Miranda Priestly."

The blonde's expression became even more bored than before. "Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but she called me requesting to see me. It's an emergency regarding her husband."

Andy tried not to cringe at the half lie, but if it got her to Miranda then she was willing to risk it. The blonde narrowed her eyes and looked her up and down, but then she blandly said, "Take the first door to your left, and go down the hall before taking the third to your right. It's all straight from there."

Andy smiled. "Thank you."

Quickly making her way down the path the receptionist had indicated, Andy tried not to gape at the things she saw around her. People were hurrying about, she could hear phones ringing as she passed glass offices, art studios, and rooms filled with fashion sketches and clothes in racks. It was like entering a different planet. Or a very sophisticated space ship. Before she knew it, she was entering another reception area with two desks, one of them empty, the one on the right hosting a young woman talking frantically on the phone, her complexion pale and her brow tight as her eyes stared unblinkingly at her computer screen. Andy looked into the office ahead of her. Tall window panels let in a soft light that encased in a warm glow a beautiful glass desk and high black chair that was turned away from the entrance. And that's when Andy noticed the elegant calves extending from the seat to the floor ending in a pair of tall black heels with a blood red sole.

Andy swallowed.

Quickly moving past the assistant still anxiously talking on the phone and typing furiously, Andy entered the regal office. The Queen's lair.

"Hey! You can't go in there!" The assistant said, her voice tight and shrill.

The black chair whirled around, bringing into view a glaring Miranda. Andy watched as the cold expression on the older woman's face broke to fleetingly show surprise before the walls smacked back into place and Andy was at the receiving end of a gut-churning glare.

"I didn't do it, Miranda."

Miranda's eyes narrowed further.

The assistant's voice came from behind Andy, as if she had stood up and was walking towards them. "I'm sorry, Miranda, she just walked in..." Andy whirled around and scowled at the other woman.

"Give us a minute," she said, trying to sound as authoritative as she could.

The assistant looked away from Andy to look past her shoulder, no doubt searching for Miranda's command. When the young woman shuffled back in retreat, once again sitting at her desk in the outer office, Andy turned back around and approached the desk, not taking her eyes off Miranda.

"I don't know why you haven't been taking my calls, but I didn't rat you out to the press. I would never do that to a client, especially not you. I can't believe you would even think I'm capable of doing such a terrible thing. I don't know who has betrayed you like this before for you to distrust and jump to conclusions so easily, but I'm not like those assholes. I thought you knew that."

Miranda continued to glare at Andy, her posture rigid and her eyes unreadale. After moments in silence looking at each other unflinchingly, Andy let out a breath and smiled sadly before shaking her head. There was nothing more to say, was there?

"Good bye, Miranda."

Turning on her heel, she stalked away, never looking back.

 

.....-.....

 

Lily had decided to invite herself over to Andy's apartment that night after she had called Andy and had heard how miserable and tired her friend had sounded.

_"I don't care what you say. You need cheering up, so I'm coming over. And I'm bringing Doug."_

So now Andy was buried in her sofa cushions, eating a bowl of popcorn while her two best friends raided her kitchen for glasses and mixers to make cocktails with. Apparently, Lily's idea of "cheering up" meant bringing a bottle of vodka, another of rum, and a multitude of beverages to mix the booze with.

When her friends joined her in the sitting area, they brought out a tray with all sorts of alcoholic concoctions on it, and Andy closed her eyes and mentally prepared herself for the night ahead.

"I've been taking mixing courses, I might as well put them to good use," Doug said when he saw Andy's expression at the array of colourful and fizzy drinks.

Andy admitted that was a fair point, and she definitely enjoyed the benefits of it when she chose a fruity drink that tasted heavenly mixed with vodka.

"So," Lily turned in the couch so she could face Andy and poked her with her toe. "What's up?"

Andy sighed. "Things got difficult with a client. It's kind of affected me."

"Obviously," quipped Doug from his seat on the armchair.

Andy stuck her tongue out at him.

"But what _happened_?" Lily asked. She had always been the kind of friend that wanted all the details. Andy loved and hated her for it.

"I can't say, Lils. Confidentiality and all that," Andy shrugged, her chest feeling like it would cave in on itself just at the thought of Miranda.

"Well, something tells me this person is more than a client to you. You usually don't let their lives intervene with yours or affect you outside of work," said Doug munching on some peanut M&Ms. Lily nodded in agreement.

Andy pouted. The three of them had been friends for so many years now - more than a decade - that Lily and Doug were usually able to read her like an open book. Damn them.

"Ugh. Fine. You're right, she's not just a client. I feel this pull towards her. I don't know how to describe it. I want to help her, but it's more than that. I..." Andy bit her lip. "I want to make her _happy_."

Lily's eyes widened.

"Oh shit," said Doug, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," Andy said, and drank half her glass in three big gulps. "I'm in _deep_ shit."

Lily simply nodded, and then tipped off Andy's drink with more of the fruity vodka mix. Andy gave her a weak, appreciative smile, and kept drinking.

 

.....-.....

 

The next morning, Andy woke up with a pounding headache. Why had she decided to get so drunk on a weekday? And especially when she had such an early call. She had sessions with clients back to back from 8:30 am to 7 pm, except 45 minutes for lunch at 1.

Andy had a feeling the day was only bound to get worse.

She took a shower, trying to erase the traces of alcohol off her body, and trying to relax under the warm spray of the shower, leaning her head forward and massaging her shoulders and neck. After finishing getting ready, she left her apartment and took the short subway ride to Columbus Avenue. Once there, she went to her usual cafeteria and ordered a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, coffee, and a bowl of strawberries. Andy practically devoured her food, and the more she ate the more human she felt. The coffee was a gift sent from heaven, and she swallowed two aspirin for good measure.

By the time she got to her studio, it was 8 o'clock, and Andy decided to busy herself by getting everything ready for her first client. Anything to keep her mind away from wandering thoughts of a certain silver haired editor.

 

.....-.....

 

 _Thank God_ , Andy thought. It was just past 7 pm, and she was just about ready to collapse in relief. Today had been the longest day in recent memory, and it was finally almost over. Now she could go home and watch Brooklyn Nine Nine with a tub of cookie dough Ben and Jerry's, and Andy could not wait. She was quite proud of herself, though. She had done a good day's work, despite everything, and her sessions had been very productive and successful, so at least Andy went home satisfied with her effort.

She gathered her things and made sure all the lights were off before eagerly heading for the door. Just as she was reaching for the handle, the doorbell rang. Freezing in place, Andy's heart froze. _Could it be...?_ Tentatively, she leaned forward to peek through the peephole. There, in the softly lit hallway, stood Miranda, silver hair slightly wind swept, eyes roving up and down the hall, hand fidgeting with her bracelet while the other held some garment bags, and looking gorgeous in a fur coat and black pencil skirt reaching past her knees. Andy could not calm her pounding heart, and she nearly lost her breath when Miranda rolled her eyes.

"I know you're there, Andrea. Let me in."

As usual, Andy's heart leapt to her throat at hearing the older woman speak her name. Andy bit her lip, mind racing, not sure if she wanted to know why Miranda was here. Was she there to let Andy know she was being sued? Was she there to give her a piece of her mind about Andy confronting her at Runway? Was she there to strangle her? Andy couldn't take her eyes off the woman at the other side of the door, and she saw more than heard Miranda's deep sigh.

"Please."

Andy blinked. Something in Miranda's voice beckoned Andy, and she knew that no matter whatever the reason for the older woman's visit, Andy would die if she didn't find out.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun. dun. duuuuun!
> 
> sorry for another cliff hanger ugh i know i hate me too sorryyyyyy


	6. Couture and Sincerity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because of the lovely readers who take the time to leave a comment of encouragement and support, my muse is with me, and my schedule had finally allowed me to write a longer chapter!
> 
> Please let me know if you hate it, I always appreciate feedback ;) x

Andy watched as Miranda stood in the middle of the waiting area, not making eye contact and shifting the weight of the garment bags draped over her arm. After a few more moments in silence, Andy supressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"How can I help you, Miranda?"

Blue eyes shot up and finally looked at almond ones.

"I hope I'm not inconveniencing you by being here, but I hoped we could talk."

Andy's eyebrows shot up. Miranda had never been polite, let alone worried about _inconveniencing_ Andy.

"Um, sure. Come on in," Andy said, leading the way into the main room.

Almost as if it were routine, they sat in their usual places after Miranda carefully draped the garment bags over the back of the couch and took off her fur coat, revealing a white wrap around blouse that made Andy nearly faint.

"I owe you an apology," Miranda said, and Andy settled back against her armchair, making sure her expression was open, letting Miranda lead the way into the conversation. "You were right, I did jump to conclusions. It was unfair to believe you would go to the press about me, I should have known that you are far too good a person to do that."

Andy blinked. Whatever she had expected, it had not been a heartfelt apology that not only showed Miranda's remorse, but also praised Andy's person.

"Miranda-"

"Please. I'm not finished," she said, hand raised, halting Andy in her words before letting her hand fall back on her lap to join the other one, her fingers immediately seeking the bracelet dangling from her delicate wrist. "I'm sorry for not taking your calls. I should have heard you out. When you came to Runway I was beyond surprised, and your words made me realise that I had judged you wrongly. I let my past experiences doubt your credibility and your professionalism, blind me to the realities of who you are, and I sincerely apologise. It was terrible of me to put you in the same group of people who have betrayed me for money and fame before. I know you are not like that. I hope you can forgive me."

Andy let out a breath. Miranda seemed so sincere, and for her to open up like this and push aside her pride told Andy a lot about how sorry she was. The fact that she had come here instead of going home with her children or working at Runway or doing literally anything else that holds a higher priority than Andy, was proof enough. Andy understood that past traumas and betrayals could really shape how one trusted others, especially people one only knew recently, like Andy and Miranda, who had barely known each other two weeks. Andy could understand why Miranda had reacted the way she had. It was mostly bad timing, because they had been speaking about Stephen filing for a divorce just the night before the press broke the news, and with Miranda's trust issues, Andy was not surprised she had assumed Andy was the culprit. She highly doubted Miranda had that many people to talk to about these things with, which caused Andy to feel a pang of sympathy for her. What was it people said? _It gets lonely at the top_. Miranda seemed to be genuine in her regret, and Andy's forgiving nature got the better of her. "Apology accepted." Miranda relaxed, her shoulders losing some of her tension and the corner of her eyes seemed to smooth out. "So how _did_ the press find out?"

"My husband." Miranda said, and she pursed her lips. "My publicist is dealing with it. I confronted Stephen about everything. The cheating, the drinking, his lack of effort to be a parental figure to the girls. Everything. It did not end very well. He admitted to going to the press. Apparently he wanted to hurt me, because according to him I deserve it." Miranda sniffed disdainfully. "Little does he know, I care very little for what he or anyone else has to say about me. Runway is thriving and Elias-Clarke would not dare to fire me over a little bad press, so it's not like my career is in jeopardy. And I spoke to my daughters. They were surprisingly okay with Stephen's departure from our lives. I'm quite sure now that they had been wanting him to leave from the moment I decided to marry him."

Andy nodded, listening intently to every word. "So you're doing okay?"

Miranda's eyes twinkled, and the corner of her lips twitched in a secret smile. "The press is being a complete pain, but I learnt a long time ago how to deal with them and trick them into losing track of me. Apart from that, Stephen has finally moved out, my girls are happy to throw water balloons and God knows what else at the press camping outside our house," Miranda gave a soft chuckle, and Andy smiled fondly at the thought of two teenage girls enacting chaotic revenge on the press. "And I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders." Miranda breathed in deeply and then slowly exhaled, and Andy saw a perfect visage of that burden leaving Miranda's body. "I feel like myself again. I have no doubt that the next several months will be filled with attorneys and legal dealings with the divorce, but at least it's just me and my girls again, and we're happy."

Andy's smile widened, and she nearly lost her breath when Miranda in return gave the biggest, most beautiful smile Andy had seen.

"I'm glad, Miranda. It's good to know that things are working out. Stephen is a complete idiot who doesn't deserve you, and going to the press was a real jerk move on his part, but at least you have your family back."

Miranda hummed.

"Well, it is mostly thanks to you. You made me realise that I did not need him, and that he was the one not being a good enough partner, not the other way around," Miranda's eyes bore into Andy's, filled with something unreadable and pure. "Coming here was one of the best decisions I've made since I got into this mistake of a marriage." Andy's heart soared, and she almost felt light headed. "Which is why," Miranda continued, standing from her seat and picking up the garment bags. "I brought you this. As a thank you, and an apology."

Andy blinked in surprise, not knowing what to say. Miranda Priestly was giving her clothes?

"Miranda, you didn't have to." She said, standing up.

"Nonsense. It was my pleasure. Here, have a look. If there is anything you don't like, I can take it to Runway, it's no problem."

Andy let out a shaky breath. This evening had been completely turned upside down, and all these surprises from Miranda was making Andy feel like she had fallen into the Twilight Zone.

She stepped around the coffee table to stand next to Miranda. There were four garment bags, Andy counted as Miranda stretched them out across the couch. She lost her breath when Miranda unzipped the first one, revealing a beautiful black suit with sharp cuts and the texture so fine that Andy couldn't keep her fingers from caressing the elegant material. A crisp champagne coloured shirt with silver buttons made Andy feel like she could die on the spot. Miranda Priestly thought her worthy to wear _this_?

"Miranda, this is too much. I don't even want to think how much money this costs!"

The older woman simply waved her hand dismissively. "Don't be ridiculous, Andrea. It's perfect for you. You're a size 4, yes?"

Andy stared at her, her shock still plainly evident on her face. "Yeah. Yes. How did you know?"

Miranda smirked and winked, inadvertently nearly giving Andy a coronary. "I've been in the fashion business since before you were born, Andrea. I have my ways."

Andy gulped.

"Would you like to try it on? That way I can see if it needs altering."

Andy nodded, reaching for the garment bag.

"Not so fast, don't you want to see the other ones as well?" Miranda said, raising an amused eyebrow.

"Um, yeah, of course," Andy said, blushing slightly at her over-eagerness.

Miranda unzipped the second bag, and Andy very nearly collapsed. There was a beautiful burgundy dress, the cap sleeves elegant and the low décolletage adding a little touch or risqué. Andy swallowed.

"The colour should compliment your skin tone nicely," Miranda said, looking at Andy's expression closely for any sign of dislike. But Andy was feeling the opposite. She wasn't even able to look away from the dress, admiring the stitching, the draped cut of the skirt, the soft material.

"Miranda... I don't know what to say. This is more beautiful than everything in my closet combined."

Miranda snorted. "That is why I brought these to you. You are a professional, respectable, beautiful woman, Andrea. Your clothes should reflect that."

A deep blush rose from her chest, up her neck and finally reaching her cheeks. Miranda had just called her beautiful. Right. Okay.

"Thank you," she rasped before clearing her voice and looking up at the older woman. She could see blue eyes smiling at her, and then roving her face, neck and chest, no doubt seeing Andy's blush as clear as daylight.

Andy watched Miranda's throat work as she swallowed, and then turned to the third garment bag before unzipping it to reveal it contents. A light pink, long sleeved blouse with silver flower embroidery was accompanied by a silver pencil skirt, and Andy had to refrain from wrapping the older woman in a tight hug to express just how grateful and touched Andy was by these gifts. But Miranda was a client, Andy reminded herself. She needed to keep a professional distance, despite the nagging voice inside her head reminding her that the line between a professional relationship and something more had blurred between them already.

"I'm guessing by your awed face that it's to your liking?" Miranda said as she stood next to her, not taking her eyes off Andy.

"Wow. You really are the Goddess of fashion."

A challenging eyebrow rose high on Miranda's forehead. "You doubted it until this moment?"

Andy laughed, rolling her eyes good-naturedly and looking back at the outfit, fingers stroking the light material of the blouse. "Not really. I mean, look at you. You always look perfect, so-" Andy's eyes widened as she realised what she'd just said. Had she just called Miranda _perfect_? She looked at the older woman, hoping her slip of the tongue hadn't just cost her a client. Blue eyes looked at her with an amused warmth that made Andy want to sigh in relief. Miranda's eyes sparkled like jewels with something else, and the young woman only managed to look away with a herculean effort. "And the last one?"

Miranda smirked. "Ah, yes. My personal favourite."

The zipper was steadily undone, and the more it revealed, the more Andy's mouth fell open. When the dressing gown was completely on display, Andy lost her breath. The vibrant red of the dress reminded Andy of a blooming rose, and the neat layers made Andy want to bury herself in the soft texture of the beautiful garment. The high collar ended in sparkling golden jewels that were small and sophisticated, but reflected the light in such a delightful way that Andy felt the urge to meet whoever had made this artistic creation and kiss their feet.

"Oh, Miranda..." Andy breathed, unable to stop her eyes from roaming the stunning couture displayed in front of her. There was no doubt in her mind that anyone would be made to feel like a queen wearing such a dress.

"I thought of you the moment I saw it," Miranda murmured, and Andy looked at her in surprise just in time to see a light blush dust her cheekbones and her startled eyes blinking, as if she had not meant to say the words out loud.

"I don't think I have ever seen a more beautiful dress," Andy said as sincerely as she could, and Miranda locked eyes with her. "Thank you, Miranda. I cannot express how much I love these. They're too much, really."

Miranda seemed to internally shake herself. "I thought we had already gone over this. Ever since I came to you my life has improved significantly, and thanks to you I have been able to rid myself and my girls of a man that, until recently, I thought belonged with us. You made me see that I was worth more than an alcoholic husband who only focuses on his ego and twenty-year-old blondes instead of his family."

Andy smiled warmly. "I'm glad I was there for you, Miranda. It was an honour, and I'm happy to be here for anything else you may need."

Andy thought she saw Miranda's eyes glance at her lips, but it was so fleeting and so _preposterous_ that Andy just knew it had been a trick of the light - or her mind, since she was clearly losing it.

"Good," Miranda said, and then nodded at the four outfits displayed before her. "Would you like to try them on, or perhaps wait until you get home and try them on in your own time?"

Andy immediately reached for the first bag, the suit, and grinned brightly. "Be right back!"

She dashed out of the room, Miranda's chuckle in her ears and warming her heart.

 

.....-.....

 

Andy was incredibly grateful she kept a few extra outfits in case of emergencies in the closet inside the spacious bathroom, because she had a pair of black simple high heels there that complimented the suit perfectly, and made her feel more confident as she walked back into the main room where Miranda was leaning against the window sill, gazing at the view of the park and buildings across the street. As soon as she heard Andy come into the room, however, she turned to face her.

Andy swallowed down her nervousness. After all, she was basically giving a fashion show to the queen of fashion herself, and Andy felt deeply out of her element. Just to have something to do, Andy turned slowly in place, and then nervously ran her fingers through her hair when she faced Miranda once again. The older woman was looking at her from head to toe and then back up. Andy tried not to tremble, because even though she knew this was just Miranda Priestly doing what she did best, it felt like she was caressing Andy with her eyes. _Losing. It._

The older woman nodded. "Wonderful," she said quietly, then zoned in on Andy's eyes while the young woman concentrated in slowing her rampaging heart. "How do you feel in it?"

Andy smiled. "I feel good," she said. It was true. The suit was surprisingly comfortable, even though the trousers were not particularly loose and she felt the ensemble hug her body in the right places, it was still incredibly easy to wear. "I feel confident, and it's surprisingly comfortable."

Miranda's lips quirked. "Sometimes fashionable can be comfortable."

Andy smiled back. "I'm starting to see that."

They stared at each other for a few more moments before Miranda waved at the other outfits. Without a word, Andy took the Burgundy dress and went to the bathroom once again.

Moments later, Andy came back to find Miranda pacing and barking on the phone to someone that Andy felt immediately sorry for.

"I told you, Leslie. I'm otherwise occupied at the moment. I told you to handle it, this is what I pay you for. The details of your incompetence do not interest me, I have given you clear-" Miranda turned and froze as saw Andy, her gaze immediately roving Andy's body as she ignored the other person on the phone. It only lasted a moment, however, because then Miranda was speaking coldly and quietly, "Don't call again unless you have something important to say. Do. Your. Job. That's all." Miranda snapped her phone shut, eyes still fixed on Andy as she approached. Andy had to take a deep breath not to tremble.

"That seemed important, are you sure you don't have to go? I don't want you to feel like you have to stick around if you have other stuff to do." Andy smiled reassuringly, but Miranda simply shook her head as she continued her appraisal of the outfit.

"I knew that colour would flatter your complexion. Do you like it?"

Andy looked down at her body. The dress left her arms bare and showed a decent amount of cleavage, and the skirt ended at her knees in a drape cut that accentuated her waist and generous curves. She ran her hand down her side, enjoying the texture beneath her fingertips.

"I love it," she said, grinning at Miranda as she made another full turn for the woman to see the outfit entirely. When Andy came to stand facing Miranda again, the older woman nodded, and Andy refrained from beaming.

The next outfit was the blouse and skirt. The soft pink and silver colors, the long sleeves, and tight pencil skirt made her feel like spring - light and elegant and playful. By the way Miranda's eyes crinkled at the corners and her hum of approval, Andy got the feeling Miranda also liked it. It was her selection, after all.

The last outfit was the gown, and Andy had to take off her bra when she realised it was backless. She didn't know how she felt about Miranda seeing so much of her, but the gown was beautiful. Floor length, with a slit on the side of the skirt reaching just slightly higher than mid thigh, the high neckline showing off her shoulders and collar bones as the gold collar wrapped around her neck delicately. When she stepped back into the room, Miranda was sitting on the sofa facing her, and the woman swiftly stood up when she caught sigh of Andy. She felt like a vision as she glided further into the room, and felt a thrill course down her spine when Miranda couldn't seem to take her eyes off her. Blue eyes slowly made their way down Andy's body as if appreciating a work of art, as if Miranda was savouring the sight, her eyes vivid and appreciative in a way that made Andy supress a shudder of pleasure. After a few moments of Andy watching Miranda devour her with her eyes, the older woman slowly stepped around the coffee table and approached Andy, her eyes never ceasing the inspection of Andy's body. _Of the dress. She's looking at the dress, that's what she does for a living._

When Miranda was at arm's length away, she stepped around Andy, slowly walking around her, gazing at the low cut back and the way the dress flowed to the floor allowing teasing glances of Andy's toned, smooth leg. Andy was finding it hard to breathe. Her heart was pounding, and she tried not to fidget nervously while she waited for Miranda's verdict.

Finally, after many breathless moments, Miranda stood before Andy, taking one last sweep of Andy's figure before exhaling sharply.

"Yes. It's like Valentino made this for you himself."

Andy let out a shaky breath. When had Miranda's approval become so important?

"So it looks okay?"

Miranda locked eyes with her, and her face seemed to soften infinitesimally.

"You look perfect."

Andy's breath caught in her throat. Did Miranda Priestly just say she looked _perfect?_ She could feel herself blushing, but before she could respond Miranda whirled on her heels and returned to the couch.

"Um, I'll just-" Andy signalled awkwardly to the door. Miranda gave a small smirk and a nod, and Andy left quickly before she could melt and make even more of a fool of herself.

When she came back into the room, she had the four garment bags with her, and she was back in her flat ballerina shoes, lilac blouse and black trousers. Miranda was still on the couch, but she was frowning down at her phone.

"Everything okay?" Andy asked as she approached the sitting area, but did not sit down in her armchair.

"My girls just texted me. It seems I lost track of time," Miranda said, and Andy looked at the clock hanging on the wall, seeing it was past 8 pm. Had they really been together for over an hour? Time had gone by so quickly.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't realise how late it was," Andy said, already moving to pick up her bag.

Miranda waved off Andy's apology. "Don't be ridiculous, it's hardly your fault. I wanted to be here. But I did promise my daughters I would be home early tonight so we could play their new video game before they go to bed."

Andy smiled, trying to imagine Miranda doing anything as trivial as playing a video game. She would pay good money to see that happen in person.

"Well, I might as well go home too. I have some work to do on another client and my notes are in my apartment."

"How are you planning on getting home?"

"Oh, I usually just take the subway."

Miranda looked so aghast that Andy almost laughed. "That is unacceptable. Especially with that much couture, there is no chance I'm allowing you to take those clothes anywhere near the _subway_ ," Miranda sniffed, appalled. "I will give you a lift."

"Oh, but Miranda, that will only make you late to be with the girls-"

"That wasn't a question, Andrea. I will give you a ride home, that's all."

Andy blinked. Okay then. "Thank you," she smiled, and led the way out of the studio.

Once they were settled in the back seat of an extremely nice Mercedes, Andy gave the driver - Roy - her address before the privacy screen was lifted into place; Andy was relieved when Miranda informed her that Andy's appartment was basically on the way to her house anyways.

They stayed in a comfortable silence for a while, simply listening to the traffic outside the car that slowly progressed down the busy streets of Manhattan. Andy could understand why Miranda insisted on being chauffeured around, it was definitely more relaxing and clean than taking the subway or getting into a smelly, over-priced cab.

"You know, you haven't told me much about your daughters. I'm curious, are they as witty and determined as you?"

That brought a soft look to the older woman's face, and her lips relaxed into an easy smile. The love radiating from her simply from mentioning her daughters made Andy's heart melt.

"You could say that. Cassidy is the witty one - she always has something quick to say about almost anything, and she is more intelligent than most kids her age. Caroline is also brilliant, but she is more artistic and less about words. Sometimes it scares me just how smart they are."

"They must get it from you, then." Andy said, not really bothering to filter herself. For some reason, here in this confined space with Miranda, leaning back again plush leather seats, and with the other woman's scent surrounding her, Andy felt more relaxed than she had been in the past two days. Curious how the cause of her anxiety had become the source of her peacefulness.

"I wouldn't go that far. Their father, Greg, is also very intelligent, but he prefers maths and numbers over anything else, so I can see they get their artistic influence from me. Despite that, their intelligence can also be a downside. They love pranking people, and unfortunately I find myself a victim of their mischievous plots on occasion," she said, rolling her eyes but unable to hide a smile. Andy laughed, trying to imagine Miranda getting pranked and outsmarted by her teenage daughters. "They're both thirteen and twins, so they're a handful, but they are very mature and loving, and they just want me to be happy." Miranda wore a soft expression as she looked out the window into the busy streets, unseeing but content.

Andy couldn't help smiling at this motherly, loving side of Miranda, and the mental filters were completely broken down. "I see great happiness in your future."

Miranda turned to gaze at Andy thoughtfully before a she smiled beautifully. "I hope so."

The car slowed down despite the moving traffic, and Andy realised they had already arrived at the front of her apartment building. She sighed, not wanting to analyse why she dreaded saying goodbye to the other woman.

"Thank you so much for the ride, Miranda. I truly appreciate it."

"It's the least I could do," she answered, and then opened her mouth to speak more before she bit her lip and stayed silent.

Andy tilted her head, something she had subconsciously imitated from the woman sitting next to her, and encouraged, "Miranda?"

The older woman sighed and looked up into attentive brown orbs. "I truly am sorry for the way I behaved. You deserve better, especially with how much you've helped me. I-" Miranda's eyes warmed, and Andy had to control herself not to audibly lose her breath at the look. "I feel like I have finally found someone who understands me. It feels good to have a... friend." Then Miranda looked hesitant, as if she felt unsure about her own words. Andy rushed to reassure her.

"I feel the same way," she said quietly, letting her eyes show just how sincere she was.

That small smile was gracing Miranda's lips again, and Andy wanted to jump with joy. "I'm glad to hear it."

They gazed at each other for a moment longer, before Andy internally shook herself and tried to get out of the trance she had fallen into, lost in Miranda's eyes.

"Good night, Miranda. Thanks again for the ride, and the beautiful clothes."

Miranda nodded. "Good night, Andrea. See you soon."

Andy got out of the car and practically floated into her building. With Miranda's last words echoing in her mind, she let herself smile brilliantly as she fought the urge to spin around with joy.

_See you soon._


	7. Family and Friendships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken me a bit longer to write this, but life gets pretty busy and my schedule no longer allowed for daily updates :(  
> I promise the real good stuff is coming soon, but we gotta give these two ladies time to build that trust and attraction, right? ;)  
> As always, please let me know if you hate it! x

It was nearly two weeks before Miranda finally made another appointment with Andy. Not that they hadn't spoken during that time. In fact, the two of them had been texting on a regular basis - mostly generic things about how Miranda was dealing with the press, the divorce, and how her daughters were. However, Andy was surprised that in a lot of the texts Miranda seemed to want to know about her too, asking questions about her job, her family, and even their mutual hobby - photography. That had been a pleasant surprise. They both loved photography so deeply and after learning that the passion was mutual, they had proceeded to send each other beautiful photos, like the sun shinning between the leaves of a beautiful rose bush, or a Runway model putting on her make up underneath the mirror lights, or even a dog chasing a Frisbee in the park. Each photograph they shared made Andy's heart leap, because she felt like Miranda had thought of _her_ during these beautiful little instances she had captured with her camera.

Andy knew she was going down a prohibited path. She never socialised with her clients outside of work. She was a professional, after all. But when it came to Miranda Priestly, she felt helplessly out of control, and she didn't know what to do.

 

.....-.....

 

"Miranda! Come in, it's good to see you." Andy said, moving out of the way to let the woman into the studio.

It was a Thursday afternoon, almost two weeks since Miranda had come to apologise and give her beautiful clothes. Having known Miranda would stop by, Andy had chosen to wear the pink blouse and silver skirt the editor had gifted her. Andy knew it had been worth it as she watched with bated breath as Miranda gave her a once-over and game a small smirk. She looked softer somehow, with a beige, flowing blouse with soft blue floral designs, form fitting white trousers and beige heels that matched the top perfectly. She looked like the sky on a spring morning, and Andy struggled to keep her eyes from roaming the other woman's figure.

"I'm glad you're putting the clothes to good use, Andrea." Andy's heart leapt at hearing the woman say her name for the first time in thirteen days.

"How could I not? They're beautiful," Andy grinned, and led the way into the sitting area. She had to keep herself from beaming when Miranda sank into her usual place on the couch, and immediately relaxed back with her eyes closed as she let out a deep breath, as if she could finally relax here. Andy could barely believe this was the same woman that had sat ramrod straight with nerves and anxiety a mere fortnight ago.

"How are things?" She said, and sank back into her own arm chair with a pleasant expression.

"Busy." Miranda finally opened her eyes. "Runway's issue deadline was yesterday, so it has been very hectic. Today is the first day I can take it relatively easy. The press has finally started to leave me alone, thanks to the latest Lindsay Lohan scandal. It really is difficult to do my job when I have hoard of photographers chasing after me everywhere I go." Andy grimaced in sympathy. She definitely would not be able to handle that well. "And the divorce seems to be going fine, Stephen isn't being nearly as impossible as I had expected. I think the amount of incriminating evidence showing his infidelity has something to do with that." Miranda smirked triumphantly, and Andy's eyebrows shot up. Miranda really had prepared for this divorce. Andy didn't want to think about what exactly those photos showed. "And the girls are happier than I have seen them in three years." Miranda smiled, and her eyes softened.

"I'm glad," said Andy. "It seems like things are looking up."

Miranda nodded. "I hoped we could celebrate." Andy's eyebrow rose, and she tried not to blush at the thought of just how she would like to celebrate Miranda's success. "Do you still have that lovely bottle of scotch?"

Andy grinned and quickly went to retrieve it from her desk drawer with two clean glasses. After serving them, Andy clinked her glass to Miranda and returned to her seat in her armchair, internally shaking herself when her mind tricked her into thinking Miranda looked fleetingly disappointed. Andy thought that sitting close to Miranda now that she was divorced, and with both of them drinking expensive celebratory drinks, would not be a good idea.

"So," Andy said and she leaned back and crossed her legs. "Did you want to talk about anything in particular this session?"

Miranda tilted her head thoughtfully, as if assessing Andy's words. The young woman simply kept her face neutral but relaxed, and waited until Miranda seemed to make up her mind about something.

"Well, I no longer have a husband, so I don't think talking about my sex life is going to get us very far," she said lightly before taking a sip of the alcohol and closing her eyes as she swallowed. Andy mimicked her just to gain some strength and keep from jumping over the coffee table to see that expression up close.

"We can still talk about it," Andy said. "A lot of my clients don't have partners, and we just discuss their sexuality, their past partners, or even prepare them to have a healthy sex life with future partners. Sometimes we just talk about their lives in general, it doesn't have to be specifically about sex. I do have a degree in psychology." Andy smirked.

Miranda seemed to contemplate this for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I have not talked about my personal life in a long time, and it seems that talking to you helps me."

Andy somehow managed not to beam with pride at that.

"Okay, so, what would you like to talk about? It doesn't even have to be something you need advice for, it can just be things in your past that perhaps you haven't opened up about or you need to vent to feel more closure. Anything at all, really. Whatever you feel like talking about, I'm here to listen."

Miranda bit her lip and took a deep breath.

"My family."

"Cassidy and Caroline?"

"No," Miranda said, and she took a rather big gulp of her drink. "My past family. My parents and my siblings. I don't have a particularly good history with them. My younger years were not very happy."

Andy straightened her posture, and gave the older woman her full attention.

"I was born outside of London, in Hammersmith," Miranda began, and she once again played with her necklace. "It was not a very nice place. My parents didn't have much money, and with three kids that meant we all had to find jobs very soon. I was twelve when I started working for a seamstress, helping her sow the clothes she designed. I was lucky, because my job gave me some basic understanding of fashion design which eventually brought me to where I am today. But my older sister Victoria was not so lucky. By the time she was thirteen she was working as a cleaner, and when she turned sixteen she moved from cleaning people's homes to cleaning local schools. My younger brother Liam was a bus boy as soon as he turned thirteen, and when he was old enough he started working at pubs, cleaning dishes and serving the town drunks. Meanwhile my father was struggling because the factory he worked at had extremely low wages and poor conditions, and my mother was a secretary with very low pay, but that is the only job she could find. We all worked hard to put food on the table, and it made things rather strained at home. And then-" Miranda swallowed thickly before taking another fortifying gulp of scotch. "My sister Victoria died when she turned eighteen. She-" Miranda pursed her lips and closed her eyes, and Andy felt her heart clench at the sight as Miranda let out a shuddering breath. "She was on the bus on her way home work, and there was a collision with another vehicle. The paramedics said she died on impact."

There was a short silence, and Andy felt her eyes sting. She had always been an easy crier, her great empathy making her emotional responses to people's tragedies so strong that sometimes she could not stop from crying for the anguish of others. Thankfully, Andy managed to hold her tears back. She doubted Miranda would appreciate them.

"I was sixteen when it happened, and son after her death I decided to leave home in search of a better future. I saved up all the money I could and came here, got a few jobs waitressing and baby sitting before I landed a position as a personal assistant at Vogue, and I slowly climbed my way up. And now, here I am."

There was a short silence where Andy watched as Miranda took a deep breath, seeming relieved that she had gotten through telling the tale of her past.

"Did you ever look back?"

At this, Miranda raised her head and locked eyes with Andy. "No. My parents were not particularly lovely people, and my brother and I fought very often, it ended up straining our relationship. The only person that really cared about me was Victoria."

Andy bit her lip, trying not to make the woman uncomfortable by being over-emotional. "I'm sorry you had to go through that," she said softly.

Miranda nodded, and they fell silent for another moment before Miranda seemed to shake herself out of the blanket of sorrow that had draped itself over her shoulders. "I don't talk about it much. Not even my daughters know much about my origins or how my family life was like. I prefer it that way."

"Do you still keep in contact with any of them? You parents or your brother?"

Miranda shook her head. "My father died fifteen years later - after working at a factory for most of his life, his body just gave up. My mother passed after the twins were born. I didn't keep contact with them, I only found out about their deaths through my brother. We send each other Christmas cards and a few letters every few years, but that's about it, really."

"And you wouldn't want him in your life or to see how things are going for him?"

"I know he's an accountant in London and seems to be doing well. Apart from that, I think I burned that bridge long ago. He didn't take my leaving well. For him, it was like losing two sisters instead of one, and he's still angry at me for that."

Andy didn't know how to respond. Miranda had obviously had a very unhappy life when she was young, and by the way she had spoken to Andy about her husbands and past relationships it seemed hadn't been particularly happy when she was older either, but life was unpredictable and happiness can come in unexpected ways, so maybe things would get better now. Andy leaned over the coffee table and re-filled Miranda's glass with a smile.

"Thank you," Miranda said, tipping her glass before Andy re-filled hers too.

"Thank God you're my last session today," Andy chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. Miranda had seemed so at peace before, and Andy hated seeing her upset over something she couldn't change. Maybe bringing up past grief that had been dealt with wasn't particularly healthy, especially not when Miranda had been through so much pain. Some things are better left forgotten. "I doubt my clients would be very happy if welcomed them buzzed from drinking," Andy said, raising her glass and winking.

Miranda snorted. "Why, don't you usually drink with them?"

Andy smiled. "No, actually. You're an exception."

The older woman tilted her head that way Andy found completely adorable. "What makes me so special?"

"You just are," Andy said, shrugging. "I don't tend to socialise with my clients. I don't share a drink with them, we don't text or send each other photographs, or give me free rides home or expensive designer clothes. We barely even talk outside of the sessions or about anything that isn't part of their therapy work."

"Will this be a problem?" Miranda frowned. "I understand therapists tend to keep friendships and clients separate, do they not?"

Andy nodded.

"And between you and me that line has blurred." Miranda said seriously.

"Yes."

Miranda hummed, and Andy tried not to feel nervous.

"Well, what do we do?" Miranda asked, but her tone was not harsh or cold, so Andy relaxed.

"Usual protocol would suggest we either keep this completely professional - no more casual drinks or socialising, and especially no gifting of expensive couture," Andy said, grinning teasingly and watching with butterflies in her stomach as Miranda rolled her eyes and smirked. "Or I could recommend another therapist, and we would have a more equal friendship, instead of a therapist-patient relationship."

Miranda nodded, serious once more. Andy waited with bated breath as Miranda mulled over Andy's words.

"Well, who would you recommend as another therapist? I would hate to be deprived of your talented photography and sound advice. And your good scotch, for that matter."

Andy couldn't help the beaming smile that lit up her face, and she melted when Miranda smiled brightly in return, eyes shinning with something warm and joyful.

"I have just the right person for you."

"Good," said Miranda imperiously, but her eyes still twinkled. "Because you, Andrea, have somehow become someone I can trust, and believe me when I say that is a very unusual thing."

Andy grinned. "I hope that doesn't change. You can still talk to me about anything, and I promise to follow any boundaries you want. We're equals now, after all."

"Indeed," Miranda chuckled. "And this means I can continue to improve your _mediocre_ _wardrobe_."

Andy laughed, and watched as Miranda pursed her lips again in that way she did when she tried to hide her own laughter. Andy made a promise to herself that one day she would make Miranda Priestly laugh.

"So, should we go have dinner or something?" Andy's eyes widened slightly. She had not meant to ask Miranda Priestly out for dinner. Her joy (and the alcohol) had clearly made her brain-mouth filters non-existent, and now she had just asked Miranda out for dinner. Great. What if she thought Andy had meant it as a date? What if she walked out in disgust? What if Andy never saw her again?

But Miranda was just gazing at her thoughtfully, a small smile curling her lips, and blue eyes seemed to be looking in to Andy's very being. "Yes."

"Yes?" Andy asked, trying not to gape. Or die.

"Yes," Miranda nodded, and her smile widened.

Andy lost her breath.

_Dinner with Miranda Priestly. Yes._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the whole trope of Miranda having a dead sister has been used in a couple of fanfics already (I can't remember which ones so sorry if it's similar too what has already been done before!) but I felt like it just added more substance and depth to Miranda's back story :)


	8. Dinner with the Queen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told ya you wouldn't have to wait too long!
> 
> God I hope this is okay, I'm not completely sure about it so please let me know what you think! x

Andy was taking a walk around central park basking in the sun and enjoying the brisk air when she felt her phone vibrate in her jean pocket. Her heart leapt when she looked at the screen to find a new message from Miranda.

_Dinner this friday, 8 pm?_

Beaming, Andy held the phone close to her chest as she took a deep, calming breath before shaking herself and texting out a reply.

_Absolutely. Where do you want to meet?_

She didn't even have to wait ten seconds for Miranda's reply.

_Send me your address and I'll pick you up. Wear the burgundy dress._

Andy had to restrain herself from breaking into a happy little jig. She had no doubt that the next two days would go by excruciatingly slowly.

 

.....-.....

 

Contrary to what she'd thought, Thursday went by far quicker than Andy had expected. She'd had a full day with clients booked back to back, and she had gone for drinks that night with Doug and Lily.

"You look chipper," said Lily as she flopped on the barstool next to her and handed her a pink drink topped with a yellow umbrella.

Andy tried but couldn't quite manage to keep the smile from her face that had been there most of the time since she'd made dinner plans with Miranda.

"Did you get laid?" Doug sassed and wiggled his eyebrows, and Andy rolled her eyes despite the bubble of warmth she felt for her two best friends sitting on either side of her.

"No..." She answered with a mysterious twinkle in her eye and a shrug.

"You mean not _yet_!" Lily exclaimed excitedly, leaning closer to Andy. "You have a date, don't you?"

"It's not a date," Andy said, laughing at her friends' antiques. "I'm just meeting a friend for dinner, that's all." Doug's eyebrows shot up, and Andy in her buzzed state couldn't help but giggle. "You know, Dougie, you use your eyebrows way too much, you're gonna be so wrinkly when you're old and gray."

Lily threw her head back in laughter as Doug pouted jokingly, and Andy's mind drifted to a certain someone with beautiful silver gray hair.

"Earth to Andy," Doug said, snapping his fingers in front of Andy's face. "Girl, you need to spill. You obviously have it bad for whoever this _'friend'_ is."

"I can't tell you guys who it is yet, okay? It's a little complicated. She was my patient until a couple days ago."

Lily's eyes widened. "Holy shit, is this the same client you were all gloomy over a few weeks ago?"

Andy nodded. "We kind of blurred the line between friendship and professional patient-therapist, so I sent her to someone else and now we're just friends."

Doug grinned. "By the look on your face, I get the feeling you want this to be more than 'just friends', huh?"

Andy elbowed him. "Dude, she's straight with kids and going through a divorce. When I say it's not a date, I mean it. She just wants a friend, so that's what I'll be."

"Well, you know what they say," Lily snickered and leaned forward again as if about to say a life-changing secret. "Spaghetti's straight 'til it gets wet."

Andy chocked on her drink, feeling the burn of it as it went down the wrong pipe and she started coughing. Doug cackled, and Lily laughed uproariously at her friend.

"She's not wrong," Doug said, and clinked glasses with Lily.

Even after she managed to stop coughing, Andy found it hard to breathe.

 

.....-.....

 

Looking herself over for the hundredth in the mirror, Andy restrained from biting her lip anxiously. She had just finished putting on her make up, and she didn't want to ruin her lipstick. The dress fit flawlessly, just like the first time she had tried it on in front of Miranda. Andy had found the perfect burgundy heels to accompany it, and she'd added some simple golden jewellery - a necklace that ended in the middle of her chest bringing attention to the low cleavage, a thin bracelet and matching ring, and a pair of elegant earrings her mother had given her for her twentieth birthday. All in all, she looked good. Much better than she usually did by any standards, but she was going to dinner with _the_ Miranda Priestly, so the pressure Andy felt to look perfect was making her feel more nervous than she could remember being in a while.

Her phone chirped with a message from Miranda saying she was downstairs, and Andy grabbed her small purse and rushed out of her apartment.

When she came out of the building, she saw the silver Mercedes waiting for her at the curb. Andy approached, and she recognised Roy - Miranda's driver - as he stepped out to open the door for her.

"Thank you." Andy said, giving him a shy smile as he nodded at her.

Slipping into the back seat, Andy turned to her left and lost her breath.

Miranda was sitting there smiling at her, wearing a beautiful cerulean dress, the off the shoulder neckline exposing a decent amount of creamy skin expanding over an elegant neck and shoulders, the sleeves reaching bellow her elbows, and the bodice wrapped tightly over the woman's figure. As Andy's eyes continued to roam down the woman's body, she nearly broke out into a sweat when she saw the dress reached her knees, exposing beautifully strong calves, and a discreet slit in the side of the skirt added a touch of risqué that made Andy nearly have a coronary when she saw a glimpse of smooth thigh encased in glimmering dark hose. Or was she wearing thigh-highs? Andy felt dizzy just at the thought.

"Hello, Andrea."

Miranda's smooth voice brought Andy back to the moment and she quickly raised her eyes away from Miranda's legs, feeling a blush forming on her cheeks. Miranda's hair was as perfect as always, but her make up looked soft and smouldering at the same time, the silver earrings dangling from her lobes encasing the beautiful neck and bringing attention to the shoulders so magnificently displayed.

"Miranda," Andy cleared her throat when she heard how raspy her voice sounded. God, she really needed to pull her shit together, she wasn't some horny teenager. "You look gorgeous." Andy's blush deepened. What was it about this woman that made Andy's mental filter crumble without resistance? Thank God for the privacy screen, or else Andy would not only be embarrassing herself in front of Miranda, but also her driver.

"Thank you," Miranda smiled, and Andy let out a breath she had inadvertently been holding. "As do you. The dress looks even better on you than I remember. Very good choice of accessories."

"Thanks," Andy said, beaming. There was a short silence as they regarded each other, warm smiles still in place, as if neither could believe they were really there. "So," Andy started, and grasped her hands on her lap so she wouldn't fidget. "How was your day?"

Miranda huffed. "The usual. Runway is filled with incompetence, nothing new there. Why my employees can't seem to carry out simple tasks, I will never understand. Where is the creativity? The passion?" Miranda rolled her eyes, and Andy tried very hard not to be amused. "Anyways, let's not talk about work. My girls have a sleep over tonight, so the house has been mercifully quiet this evening and I got plenty of work done, I'd rather stop thinking about it altogether. How was yours?"

"Pretty busy, but you're right, let's not talk about work. I went out with my friends Doug and Lily last night, and they're always a bad influenced on me because I tend to drink just a little over the tipsy limit," Andy rolled her eyes, and Miranda's lips twitched in amusement. "But it was a lot of fun, and mercifully no hangover to make me regret those last few rounds."

"Ah," Miranda said almost dreamily. "To be young again."

Andy snorted. "Come on, Miranda. You're like, what, forty-five? Forty-seven?"

Miranda smirked. "Fifty, actually."

Andy's eyebrows shot up. "Holy shit. You have _got_ to tell me your skin care routine. And your work out routine. Andy any other secrets you have to stay looking like that." Andy waved her hand, motioning to Miranda from head to toe.

"There are no secrets, believe me. Just very expensive cosmetics and a very strong self-discipline on my diet and physical activity," Miranda smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Contrary to popular belief, I don't drink the blood of virgins, and I'm not actually a witch with evil magic potions either."

Andy threw her head back and laughed. "Wow. Do people seriously think that?"

"Page Six has far too much fun making up silly theories and tales about me. There's also the one where I torture my assistants and feed them to a giant snake I hide in the basement."

Andy laughed again. "Jesus Christ."

"Not him, no, but I have been called the Devil on multiple occasions."

Andy chuckled and shook her head as Miranda looked at her with a gleeful look in her eyes and a secret smirk adorning her lips.

The car slowed down, and Andy turned to look out the window. They were at Smith and Wollensky, and even though Andy had never eaten here before she had heard raving reviews. The driver pulled up to the curb just outside the entrance to the restaurant, opening the door for Miranda and Andy couldn't help but watch as the older woman gracefully exited the car. Andy opened her own door and quickly got out. As she turned, Miranda was standing next to her and she tilted her silver head daintily towards the restaurant. Andy smiled, and had to control herself when she caught sight of Miranda standing upright in that dress. As Miranda stepped in front of her to enter the restaurant and lead the way to a table in the corner of the room, Andy tried not to blatantly ogle how Miranda's smooth shoulder blades flexed, how the dress dipped into the curves of her waist perfectly, and how her derriere moved enticingly with the sway of her hips as she walked with grace and purpose, as if she owned the place. Andy had a feeling that if she was going to keep her sanity around this woman she'd at least need an inhaler for moments like this where she quite literally lost her breath.

Mercifully, they reached a secluded table with warm lighting in a cosy corner of the restaurant, and as they sat across from each other Andy let out a silent breath of gratefulness. She doubted she could have remained upright much longer with the woman's body so beautifully poised for Andy's eyes to soak up. Now there was a table between them and the only thing Andy could get distracted about was Miranda's upper half. Which was quite distracting in itself, but at least Andy didn't feel like such a creep now that her eyes couldn't feast themselves on Miranda's ass.

"Have you ever been to Smith and Wollensky before?" Miranda asked as she placed her napkin across her lap.

"Nope," Andy shook her head and did the same with her own napkin. "What do you recommend?"

"I always have the steak, but their Scottish Salmon a la Waldorf is to die for if you don't eat meat."

Andy's eyes lit up. "Say no more."

Miranda smiled, and a waiter rushed to their side. Andy watched as Miranda ordered a bottle of fine white wine, a medium rare steak for herself, and the salmon for Andy before a softly spoken _"That's all"_ made the waiter scatter away.

"Is this how people treat you everywhere you go?" Andy asked.

Miranda shrugged. "My reputation follows me outside of the fashion industry. All of New York and most of the coast knows who I am, so when it comes to getting the things I want it's quite convenient that people are afraid of my wrath."

The mischievous twinkle in blue eyes made Andy swallow reflexively, but she couldn't stop from grinning. It was so like Miranda to enjoy wracking such terror that everyone fell at her feet wherever she went. After learning about Miranda's past, Andy wasn't surprised the other woman let herself enjoy the perks of being a world-renowned (and feared) fashionista.

The waiter came back and silently poured them each a glass of wine before setting the bottle in a cooler next to the table and ushering off again.

"So I take it you come here often?" Andy said as she sipped her wine and hummed in delight at the smooth taste and exquisite texture of it.

"As much as I can. Nigel and I try to eat here at least once a week."

"Nigel?" Andy asked, feeling a surge of something like acid rise in her chest.

"My Art Director at the magazine, and one of the few people I can call a friend. We rose up together through the ranks, and he knows me probably better than any of my other acquaintances," Miranda said, then smirked. "Except you, of course. I doubt I would ever talk to him about my masturbating habits."

Andy guffawed and was very glad she had already swallowed her sip of wine, because she was sure she would have spit it all over their table.

"Jesus, Miranda."

"What? I thought you spoke of such things all day? My, it's easy to shock you." The mischievous glint in her eye was back, and Andy's breath caught.

"I do talk about that stuff all day, but I didn't expect you to ever bring it up. No offense, but you didn't seem particularly relaxed when we spoke about those sorts of things."

Miranda chuckled. "Touché," Miranda raised her glass, and Andy clinked hers to it in cheers. "Anyways, Nigel deserves a promotion soon. I can see the strain it's put on him, working for me all these years. He has an incredible eye for fashion, he deserves to expose his talent on his own terms."

Andy nodded. "He seems like a nice guy."

Miranda nodded. "Very loyal. His husband is a very lucky man."

Andy didn't want to think about why that statement made her feel relieved.

"So, any other interesting underlings I should know about? Working alone is great but I often miss the camaraderie of working with a group of people." Andy had no idea how they had come back to talking about work even though they had agreed not to, but it was easy and light-hearted, and Miranda had been the one to mention her co-worker first, so she assumed it was all right.

Miranda tilted her head thoughtfully. "I suppose Emily is a rather interesting specimen, especially for a psychologist to study. She's my first assistant, although some days I think I should send her to a mental institution."

Andy snorted. "Is she the one I saw that time I came to Runway?"

"No, that was my second assistant. Emily was probably off somewhere doing an errand or other. She's extremely uptight, with a very British sarcasm, a very sharp tongue and stress management issues. And her diet consists of nothing but cheese cubes. Of course, she is completely terrified of me, but I have been amused by her scathing remarks towards the second assistants on more than one occasion."

"She sounds like a real job, I'd love to pick her brain a bit," Andy smirked. Miranda laughed softly, and Andy's heart soared at the sound. It wasn't uncontrollable laughter, but she had made Miranda Priestly _laugh_. Andy internally shook herself before she could melt right on the spot. "Do you have more than one second assistant?"

"No," Miranda said, her face relaxed and her lips still curled in an easy smile. "But few can last more than a month on the job. I'm a very difficult person to work for, and some of them are just not good enough. Or just plain stupid."

"Poor Miranda," Andy said with a teasing grin.

"The sufferings I must endure are endless," she teased with a light-hearted roll of her eyes.

Despite how much Andy was loving this banter between them, their meals arrived, and Andy's mouth watered at the sight and smell of it.

"Mm," Miranda hummed. "Bon appetite."

Andy grinned and dove in.

 

.....-.....

 

The rest of their dinner was spent with light conversation about how delicious the food was (Andy had nearly choked on her salmon when Miranda had taken the first bite of her steak, eyes closed in bliss and humming appreciatively), how Caroline and Cassidy were doing at school (Caroline was doing very well in science, but Cassidy preferred history and literature), college anecdotes from when Andy'd had a rather wild streak (like that time she had decided to get a helix piercing while drunk and the next morning had woken up with a swollen ear), music (they both loved 70s and 80s music, but Miranda had confessed to liking modern stuff too like Lana del Rey and Lady Gaga, a fact that had made Andy ridiculously giddy), and lastly movies.

"You know," Miranda said. "I happen to know Cate Blanchett myself."

_"What?"_

The older woman smirked and gestured to their waiter for the check. "Oh, yes. She's been on a few Runway issues, and she's a lovely person. We get along rather well. I could arrange something for you to meet her, if you like."

Andy gaped, heart racing and mind feeling so delicious fuzzy that she blurted, "Marry me."

Miranda laughed - not so quietly this time - and Andy felt like she would fall right out of her chair. "Oh, Andrea," she said smoothly, bringing her wine glass to her lips, her eyes shinning a bright blue as they gazed into Andy's. "I can't marry you while I'm going through a divorce now can I?"

Andy had to grip the arms of her chair not to lean over the table and kiss that smug smirk right off Miranda's teasing lips.

 

.....-.....

 

They left the restaurant soon after, and on their way to the car Miranda rested her hand on Andy's back as she guided her through the people walking on the sidewalk. The driver opened the door for Andy first, and then for Miranda. Once the two women had settled in, the car pulled off the curb, and Miranda leaned her head back on the leather seat and closed her eyes, sighing deeply.

"Long day?" Andy asked, admiring the way Miranda's neck arched deliciously.

"Mm," Miranda hummed, still with her eyes closed, and Andy took the liberty of visually taking in the beauty of the older woman: the arch of a thin nose resembling a Greek sculpture, the high arch of blonde eyebrows, the flutter of dark eyelashes against smooth, prominent cheekbones, the curve of her lips, the defined jaw... "More like long week."

Andy bit her lip and snapped out of her daze. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Mirada opened her eyes and turned her head to look thoughtfully at the brunette sitting beside her. "You have done much more than you realise, Andrea. Good, sincere company is difficult to come by. It is very unusual that I find someone who is honest and kind and doesn't look for ulterior motives."

Andy's heart clenched at Miranda's words. It must be so lonely to live like that, where kind people are the rarity. "You deserve only good things, Miranda. I hope that you find them."

Blue eyes filled with something Andy couldn't understand, but she shivered at how deeply and unflinchingly they looked into her own.

"I think I already did."

Andy lost her breath, unable to look away, unable to even form words or coherent thought. Biting her lip, she flicked her eyes away, only to see Miranda's hand right there on the seat, delicately resting in the space between them, and Andy wasn't sure if it was the wine she'd drank or Miranda's words or the way blue eyes had looked at her most of the night, but Andy saw her own hand move forward slowly, giving Miranda time to pull away. But she didn't. Her hand just stayed right where it was, and Andy's heart started racing when their hands touched, her own resting on top of the older woman's, feeling her skin under her fingertips, and all she could think of was _God her skin is softer than I remember._

Andy all but lost her mind as she watched the hand underneath her turn, palm facing upwards, and elegant long fingers curled around her own, holding her hand so gently that Andy felt like she would cry. She lifted her gaze away from the beautiful sight of their joined hands and looked up at Miranda only to find her already gazing back with a soft expression. She watched as Miranda's lips curled into an affectionate smile, and only then did she realise her own mouth was stretched into a bright smile of her own.

The car slowed down and pulled over, and Andy felt crestfallen at the realisation that they had arrived at her apartment building. But then Miranda's squeezed her hand, and her smile grew, and Andy had absolutely nothing to complain about.

"I had a wonderful time tonight, Miranda. Thank you for dinner, and the lift." Andy felt proud she had managed to say even that.

"As did I. I'll call you, and we can arrange for another dinner. If you like." Miranda looked nervous, as if she was uncertain that Andy would agree. _As if._

Andy nodded, feeling lightheaded because they were _still holding hands_. "I'd love that."

Miranda's shoulders relaxed once again, and she gave a nod before gently letting go of Andy's hand. Andy missed the contact instantly. "Goodnight, Andrea."

"Goodnight."

She gave one last smile and took one last look at Miranda, memorizing her as best as she could, and then exited the car. She stood there and watched as it pulled away and down the street, her hand feeling inexplicably cold and tingly.

 _Wow_.


	9. Self Caring & Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *crawls from under a rock*  
> I knooooooow I'm sorryyyyyy this is so late but I was on holiday, and I've been swarmed under the stress of helping with wedding preparations, and I've been stuck neck-deep in a nightmare of writer's block. I tried many times to write this chapter, but I never really liked the outcome of my attempts. I'm not exactly confident or happy with this one, but I thought maybe I'd put it out there and let you tell me if you hate it or not. Again, sorry. Here's an extra long chapter to make up for it. OKay hope you enjoy byeeeeee  
> *crawls back under same rock, trembling with anxiety*

An entire week went by before Andy heard Miranda's voice again since their dinner. They had been texting daily, especially at night, and Andy had been ridiculously giddy because texting Miranda was easy and light-hearted, even more so since their dinner together. The fact that they had admitted to wanting more dinner together, and the indescribable connection Andy had felt when their hands had touched, made their text conversations feel much freer and relaxed than before.

Miranda had been very busy with the upcoming Runway issue, and Andy had shown her understanding and had given the woman encouragement and support, and had listened (or, well, read) when Miranda needed to rant about the incompetence of her employees and Irv's stupidity and toxic masculinity. Andy had tried as best she could to cheer the other woman up when she was in such a mood: mostly in the form of witty remarks regarding the diabolical CEO and the poor clackers that had no idea how to work at a magazine of Runway's standard.

What truly surprised Andy was that Miranda returned the favour. Sometimes being a therapist was tough. There was no escaping the pain and the hurt her patients went through, and thoughts of her clients' issues sometimes drifted through her mind even after work hours were over. On the daily she had to talk to people who had some terrible experiences, and sometimes Andy couldn't block out all the negativity. So when she couldn't sleep, or she felt pessimistic, or even just blue, Miranda was there to cheer her up with humour and stories of her twin daughters (like that time when the twins were only 12 months old and had stayed with Miranda at the Runway offices, so Irv had demanded Miranda get a baby sitter and in response Caroline had crawled to his ankle and been sick on his shoe). She would even offer soothing words of comfort that made Andy's heart feel ten times lighter.

Overall, Andy felt good. Great, actually. Because this friendship with Miranda had been pleasantly unexpected, and it was turning out to be a source of happiness far greater than Andy could have imagined. So when she was tucked into bed on Saturday night, a week after they had dinner together, Andy decided to take a leap of faith and called Miranda's number.

It rang once, twice, three times, and Andy was just starting to regret calling unexpectedly when Miranda picked up, and Andy's heart beat faster.

"Andrea," Miranda breathed, and Andy closed her eyes at the sound of Miranda's voice pronouncing her name. "Hello."

"Hi," Andy said, sure that Miranda could easily hear her smile through her voice.

"It's good to hear your voice. How are you?"

Andy leaned back against her headboard, her pillows forming a warm cacoon around her.

"I'm good, how are you? Enjoying the weekend?"

"Hm," Miranda hummed, and Andy tried not to tremble. "It's been a wonderful day. The girls and I went to the National History museum and then had a picnic in the park with Patricia."

Andy smiled, her heart fluttering at the image of Miranda with her daughters and their dog, basking in the sun and sitting on the cool grass. "That sounds lovely, I'm so glad the press had finally backed off."

"Yes, it has been some time since we've been able to have a normal day out in public without the press hunting me down."

"Page Six should be cancelled."

Miranda chuckled. "Indeed," there was a short silence, and then, "How was your day?"

Andy shrugged, even though she knew Miranda couldn't see the gesture. "It was okay, didn't have much going on. I had lunch with Lily, went for a run, and watched some old movies at home while eating ice cream." Miranda snorted, and Andy rolled her eyes. "Hey! It's my best self-care remedy!"

"So it is," Miranda chuckled. "I'm sure it would be mine as well if I could afford to stuff myself with ice cream. Or if I even had the time to watch movies."

Andy suddenly had an idea, and before she could question herself she went for it. "Okay, this may sound crazy to you and obviously you can shut me down, but I'm going to do an entire day of self-care with you. When are you free?"

There was a short silence, and Andy could hear her heartbeat in her ears.

"I'm free next Saturday. Should I be worried about what remedies you will put me through?"

"Nope," Andy said, grinning. "Let me take care of everything, I promise I won't put you through anything painful or gross."

"Why, thank you Andrea, that would be greatly appreciated." She drawled, and Andy could almost hear her rolling her eyes.

"No problem! I'll send you the details as soon as I have everything arranged."

"Why do I get the feeling I might regret giving you control over my day?"

Andy laughed. "Oh, just you wait Priestly. Once you experience what I have planned, you won't get enough."

 

.....-.....

 

The week went by ridiculously slowly. Andy was fidgeting pretty much all the time, except when she texted or called Miranda. No matter what they talked about, Andy always felt herself relax. Since Andy had called last Saturday night, they had been calling each other as much as their schedules allowed, and it usually happened every night once both women were done with the day. Andy couldn't be happier with this new development, because no matter how much she loved texting Miranda, hearing her voice was so _so_ much better.

On Friday night, Miranda said, "So what time should I expect you to pick me up tomorrow?"

"I'll be over at 2 pm, just text me your address."

"Alright, but Roy is driving us wherever we're going," Andy hummed in agreement, and Miranda sighed. "I really hope I don't regret this," she said, but her voice was light-hearted and teasing, so Andy smiled.

"Oh, I promise you won't."

 

.....-.....

 

Andy stood on the stairs leading up to a beautiful townhouse. Andy could barely keep her jaw from dropping at how tall and magnificent it looked. Just like the woman residing in it. The door opened, and Miranda stepped out wearing sunglasses, a soft blue blouse and white pants that were loose but somehow still hugged her curves perfectly. Andy swallowed.

"Hello, Andrea," Miranda said, smiling brightly, making Andy internally melt.

"Hi," Andy said, returning the grin.

They walked down the stairs together and towards the Mercedes, and Andy stepped forward to open the door for Miranda, who nodded and gave a soft smile in thanks.

As the car made its way downtown, Miranda asked where they were going.

"I can't tell you," Andy said mischievously. "It'll ruin the surprise."

Miranda rolled her eyes and harrumphed in frustration, but accepted her circumstances and tried her best to be patient. When the car rolled to a stop not long after, Andy led Miranda out into a spa.

"So," Miranda said looking around the pristine reception area. "This is what you had in mind?"

Andy smiled, not put off by the lack of emotion on the other woman's face, and instead focusing on the please glint in the blue eyes that looked at her with a subtle curiosity.

"Just you wait," she answered sassily before turning to the receptionist and giving her the details to her reservation.

Miranda continued to look around with a raised eyebrow, and she saw a woman around her age approach them with a polite smile. She wore a white robe, and her dark hair was pulled up in a tight braid.

"Andy?"

Miranda watched as Andrea turned around and smiled brightly at the stranger.

"Lucile, hi! It's so great to see you," she said as they shook hands. "This is Miranda Priestly, I hoped you could give her your special treatment today."

"Of course! A pleasure to meet you, Miranda." Lucile said kindly and offering her hand. Miranda shook it and nodded politely, but decided to stay quiet. Lucile turned back to Andrea. "I put you up with Teresa today, Andy. If you go down to room 14, she's waiting there for you."

"Great, thanks!" Andy said, before turning to Miranda. "Okay, I'm gonna go now, but believe me, you're in good hands. Lucille is the best masseuse you'll ever meet. I'll see you in an hour, and if you need anything, my room is right next to yours." With a brilliant smile, Andy took off down the hallway, and Miranda stared after her, feeling a mixture of feelings raging in her chest. She definitely did not feel crestfallen that Andrea was leaving her for an hour with a stranger.

"Ready, Miranda?" Lucile asked with a patient expression, her warm smile never leaving her face.

Miranda nodded, and she followed the masseuse down the hall Andy had walked down. The arrived at room 15, and Lucile opened the door for her.

"I'll give you a few minutes to take off your clothes. Just lay down on the massage table, there are towels on the cabinet."

Before she could answer, Miranda was left alone in the room. A set of discrete speakers played soft meditation music with ocean waves playing in the background. The room was adorned with soothing white and beige colours, and it smelled of incense and oils, the lighting soft and warm. She took of her clothes and draped them over the chair in the corner before laying face down on the massage table and draping a towel over her backside to cover herself. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, feeling herself relax to the smells and the relaxing music playing around her.

Before she knew it, the door opened and Lucille walked in quietly. Miranda didn't move, but watched as Lucile's white shoes moved around the table.

"Okay?" she asked in calm voice.

Miranda nodded, and closed her eyes. She felt warm hands slick with oil land on her shoulder blades, and she let out a sigh as they dug into her muscles perfectly. They travelled up to her neck, kneading the tense muscles there, and in less than five minutes Miranda's body was a puddle of relaxed goo, her eyes closed in bliss, lips gaping, and breathing slow as the masseuse worked wonders on her back, neck, and feet, giving special attention to pressure spots and knots of stress she had built up for who knew how long. Miranda's mind drifted aimlessly, not really able to form much thought, the soft music and scents around her making it easy to fall into a dream-like state.

Her eyes blinked open when a soft towel was dabbed around her back, and she inhaled sharply through her nose as her eyes and mind managed to focus on her surroundings once again.

"All done, Miranda. Take your time getting ready, I'll be by reception."

She heard Lucile quietly slip out the door, and Miranda took several deep breaths, basking in the feeling of her body after the most delightful and relaxing massage she had ever received. Gingerly she sat up, being careful to avoid head rush, and dressed herself before leaving the room, smiling contentedly. When she arrived at reception, Andrea was there and immediately beamed when she saw her.

"You look relaxed," she said with a warm grin.

"Hm," Miranda hummed, and didn't even attempt to keep the smile from her face. "I don't think I've ever felt more relaxed. Thank you for this, Andrea."

Andy blushed, and felt her chest constrict in something indescribable. "Oh, we're not done yet." Miranda raised an eyebrow. "We're getting facials. And there are some Turkish baths and Jacuzzis I signed us up for, too."

Miranda's eyes widened, but her smiled showed she was more than happy with the way this day was turning out.

 

.....-.....

 

Two and a half hours later, Miranda and Andrea exited the spa with soft smiles on their smooth faces. Miranda felt as if she were walking on air. Her skin felt rejuvenated, her body relaxed as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and the fact she had spent two and a half hours next to Andrea getting spoiled at the spa while sharing laughter and good conversation made her heart feel fuzzy. Perhaps she should do this more often.

"So," she asked, and even her voice felt different. Lighter. "What now?"

Andy grinned.

"Follow me."

Miranda happily did as she was told, and they walked two blocks until they got to Central Park. Once they were surrounded by the wide expanse of trees, Miranda took a deep breath. When you live in a city like New York, nice fresh air is difficult to come by. Even though it was not the same as being out in true nature, it still felt nice to take a breath of air smelling of flowers and grass instead of car pollution and cheap fast food. As they walked, Miranda decided to share her thoughts.

"You know," she said, and felt Andrea give her full attention. "I'm thinking of taking a trip somewhere. Out of the city. Maybe I could take the girls, and Patricia, and find a house by a lake in the middle of the wilderness. I could try fishing, and teach them how to build a fire. We could have smores and see the stars..." she trailed off, her heart leaping at just imagining it. She was determined to make that happen. She wasn't sure if it was because the spa had made her think more clearly, or the fact that Andrea made her want to seek out her happiness in her very busy life, or maybe as her daughters got older she felt the need to grasp at them before they slipped through her fingers and left.

Andy seemed to feel her strange emotion of melancholy and hope, and reached over to take her hand, halting their steps. Miranda looked down at the hand holding hers, and then lifted her gaze to look into warm brown eyes that seemed to see right through her.

"If you want that, Miranda, then make it happen. It's never too late to do new things in life, or change routines. If you want to create new wonderful memories, then do it. Life is too short to not enjoy the simple things. In the end, that's all that will really matter. That you made an effort to live happy moments."

Speechless, Miranda looked at Andrea, and an overwhelming emotion rushed through her, and suddenly she wanted to kiss her. This woman, so wise beyond her years, so kind and thoughtful, always trying to help others, always encouraging, was suddenly the thing Miranda wanted most in her life.

Andrea gave her the warm smile Miranda had grown to cherish so much, and continued walking, pulling Miranda along. Her hand didn't let her go.

 

.....-.....

 

They continued their walk in the park, enjoying the sun shining on their faces between the tree branches, listening to the birds chirp above them, watching the people around them as they enjoyed picnics or walks with their dogs. Meanwhile, they strolled in comfortable silence, their hands linked by their entwined pinkie fingers, and Miranda felt a child-like giddiness she hadn't felt since she was a young girl. She never wanted to forget this day.

Andrea led her to the edge of the park, their hands dropping away from each other, and Miranda ignored the sense of loss she felt, almost as if reality had dropped a bucket of cold water over her head. She turned to Andrea, wanting to ask if this was to be the end of her delighting 'self-care' day plan, but Andrea was already looking at her with a soft gaze, the corners of her lips lifted in a relaxed grin, almost as if she was able to read her thoughts. Miranda swallowed.

"Come on," Andy said, leading the way across the street. "My place is this way."

Miranda blinked, and had to fight a huge grin.

When they got to Andy's penthouse apartment two minutes later, Miranda was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming the other woman's home was. With tall windows that let in warm rays of afternoon sun, the place was adorned in soft browns, golden, and white accents. The front door opened into a cosy living area with a large L-shaped couch in front of a wide flat TV that was without a doubt the centrepiece of the living room. The rug between the sofa and TV looked luxuriously soft, and above it was a crystal coffee table. Miranda continued looking around, admiring the huge twin sets of bookshelves filled to the brim with worn books, the large wooden table covered in folders, more books, and a laptop.

"Want the grand tour?" Andy asked cheerily as she stepped further into the room.

Miranda nodded and followed her as she made her way to the wide archway to the right that led into a beautiful, pristine kitchen. The black marvel counters glistened and contrasted beautifully with the whites of the kitchen, and Miranda loved the black wall opposite the doorway that gave the room a very modern aesthetic.

"You like it, huh?" Andy said from behind her, and Miranda turned to see her looking at her with a knowing smirk.

"I like it more than my own kitchen at home," Miranda responded, and Andy grinned.

"Come on, I'll show you the rest."

They went through the other rooms - a bathroom that was just as elegant and sleek as the kitchen, a guest bedroom with light blue highlights among white decor, Andy's own bedroom with beige and white tones matching the living room, but this room was much cosier - a perfectly made king-sized bed that made Miranda's body feel warm, photos adorned every other surface, a stick of incense burning on the nightstand, huge window panels overlooking central park, and an en suite bathroom with light blue and golden tones, a large bathtub big enough to fit three people, a shower just as big, and a double sink on a white marvel counter that held a great deal of cosmetics and products. Miranda felt her heart squeeze at how much Andrea's home suited the young woman, and she hoped she would be invited to spend more time here.

"Let me show you the best part," Andy said, taking her hand once again and leading her out of the main bedroom. Watching Miranda take stock of her home was slightly nerve-wracking, but the older woman hadn't frowned or mocked her or pursed her lips in displeasure, so Andy felt secure that she liked it. Or maybe relaxing in a spa for nearly four hours was enough to tame the critical lioness and convert her into a docile kitten than seemed happy with everything around her.

She led Miranda down to the last door at the end of the hallway, and couldn't stop the excitement she felt when she unlocked it and opened it, letting the other woman step through before her.

Miranda nearly lost her breath. It was a spacious terrace overlooking central park, with three white sunbeds placed perfectly in the middle, and candles adorning the two white round tables between each sunbed. A hammock seat hung near the wall with soft cushions, and near it was a basket with yoga mats staked in. Fairy lights hung all around the railings, and there was a short table with a stereo set and extra candles. But by far the most captivating element was the telescope in the far corner, surrounded by two plush chairs. Miranda was entranced.

"Wow," she whispered. This space radiates calm and peace, and she was sure that it would be even more stunning at night-time.

"I come out here pretty much every night. Look at the stars and the planets, do some yoga, meditate, or just relax with a glass of wine. It's the reason I bought this apartment in the first place."

"It's wonderful. I should do something like this in my house."

Andy laughed. "Well, until then, you're more than welcome to come here."

Miranda turned to her and studied her intently.

"Do you mean that?"

Andy's smile was blinding, and Miranda swallowed. "Yeah, I do." They held each others' gaze for several silent seconds, something indescribable filling the air between them before Andy seemed to shake herself. "Come on, the self-care plan isn't completely over yet."

Andy led Miranda back into the apartment and offered her a seat in the ample, comfortable couch before checking the time. 6:30 pm. Perfect.

"Would you like some wine?"

"Red would be fabulous," Miranda said as she relaxed back into the soft couch cushions.

Andy quickly made work of opening her best bottle of red, and fetched two wine glasses before returning to the couch and offering Miranda one of them.

"To self care," Miranda said with a light-hearted tone, raising her glass.

Andy clinked their glasses together, chuckling. "Cheers."

Just as they both took a sip, the intercom buzzed and Andy leapt up with a grin.

"Dinner's here," she explained, and Miranda realised just how hungry she was at the mention of food.

Thankfully the delivery boy arrived at the door quickly, handing Andy a large pizza box and a bag with two ice cream tubs. She thanked and tipped him before dashing to the kitchen to put the ice cream in the freezer, grabbed two plates and napkins, and returned to the living room.

"Right, so a very important part of the self care plan," she said as she set down the tableware and pizza, "is to pick a movie you love, and have dinner in front of the TV. So, what movie do you want to watch? Something classic?"

Miranda hummed, smiling at Andrea's enthusiasm. "All About Eve?"

Andy beamed, her eyes lighting up. "A woman after my own heart," she said, and turned just in time to miss Miranda's blush spread up her neck onto her cheeks.

Once the movie was on, Andy settled into the couch next to Miranda and handed her a slice of the best pizza she had ever eaten - thin and crispy and delightfully Italian. Miranda tried very hard not to moan at the first taste of it - she didn't get to indulge in a good cheesy pizza very often - but was unable to keep her eyes open, her eyelids fluttering shut in a state of bliss, and she had not seen Andy staring at her hungrily. As the movie played, they ate in comfortable silence, sipping and re-filling their wine glasses, and once the pizza was finished, Andy quickly retrieved the ice cream and two spoons and bowls from the kitchen before flopping back down on the couch and offering the two options to Miranda: cookie dough or chocolate with brownie pieces. Miranda smirked and tapped the chocolate one, and Andy scooped up a good amount onto a bowl before serving herself one scoop of each flavour, sticking her tongue out at Miranda when the other woman rolled her eyes. When Miranda tasted her first spoonful of her most guilty pleasure, she really could not hold back the quiet moan that escaped her lips, and was mortified when she realised her lack of self-control over a sweet treat - and if Andrea's deep blush was anything to go by, the young woman had _heard_ her delight. Before the moment could turn awkward, she cleared her throat and turned to face the screen, hoping they could ignore her moment of weakness. They continued watching the movie eating their dessert, and once they were full they simply relaxed back into the warmth of the couch until the film ended.

"Without a doubt one of my favourite movies ever," Miranda said and stretched, popping her back in a few places and humming in pleasure at how wonderful her back felt after the massage from earlier. When she looked up at Andrea, she caught sight of two pink spots over her cheeks, and Miranda felt warmth settle over her chest at how _adorable_ the young woman looked.

"Well," Andy cleared her throat slightly, trying not to gape at Miranda after that sensual display of stretching her limbs like a satisfied feline. "Would you like to go outside? It's dark enough to see the stars."

Miranda was up in less than a second, and Andy chuckled before leading her out to her little piece of heaven. As they stepped out into the fresh night air, Miranda lost her breath. Andrea must have come out here when she'd taken a bathroom break during the movie, because there were twinkling candles on every surface, and warm fairy lights lit up the area. The city beyond the terrace was beautiful, and Miranda walked to the edge of the terrace, leaning her elbows on the railing and looking out over the park encased in twinkling city lights, a cool breeze running through her short silver hair. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting the sense of peacefulness engulf her as she listened to the sounds of people's lives happening all around them. Soft jazz music started playing from somewhere behind her, and she assumed Andrea had turned on the stereo, her body immediately relaxing even more with the sound of the soft tunes.

Some moments later she felt more than heard Andrea come up beside her, and opened her eyes, taking a moment to enjoy the view again before turning to look at the young woman only to find brown eyes already gazing at her with a softness she had never seen in anyone's eyes before. Andrea smiled, and only then did Miranda realise she was smiling too.

"Beautiful," she said, not sure if she meant the day, or the view, or the sight of Andrea looking at her like that, or all of it.

Long eyelashes fluttered over brown orbs as Andrea's eyes lowered before turning to look out over the city the way Miranda had been. The distant lights twinkled in the woman's dark eyes, and Miranda found herself entranced, unable to look away from Andrea's beautiful profile, her full lips, her hair moving slightly with the breeze, the fairy lights casting shadows on her cheekbones.

She must have been staring, because Andrea turned to her again, and they looked at each other once more, not saying anything, letting the air between them fill up with something neither of them had words to describe.

"You know," Andrea said quietly, so much so that Miranda found herself leaning towards her slightly to hear her words better. "You have gold and green specks around the blue of your eyes."

Miranda blinked, and she felt her heart flutter pleasantly in her chest. "Nobody has noticed that before. Which is rather ironic, since my eyes are my good feature."

Andy's eyebrows shot up. "Your 'good' feature? Miranda, you're filled with good features. You have amazing hair," Miranda watched avidly as Andrea's eyes looked up at her hair, as if really admiring what she was describing. "Perfectly arched eyebrows," Andrea's eyes flittered over her eyebrows before dropping further down her face. "Your nose is so elegant, like an Ancient Greek sculpture, and your cheekbones," Miranda's heart skipped a beat as Andy's hand came up to her face, running a finger softly over her cheek. "Your cheekbones are to die for. And your lips," she said, and Miranda's breath caught when Andrea's eyes dropped to her lips, and couldn't seem to look away. Andrea lost her words, but her lips parted slightly, and Miranda was helpless not to admire them hungrily. Unconsciously, she licked her lips, and she saw Andrea lose her breath.

Before she could think or say or do anything, Andrea was leaning close, tilting her head, and her eyes fluttered closed, and suddenly Miranda felt the most perfect warmth settle on her lips, the softest touch, and her heart skidded to a halt before pounding in double time. Without thought, Miranda pressed her lips gently against Andrea's, kissing her back, and Andrea's fingers moved to behind her neck, pulling her closer and moving her body so she could press lightly against her front. Miranda sighed into the kiss, and her hands somehow found their way into long brunette stressed, pulling the young woman closer still. Andy's breathing hitched audibly as Miranda ran her tongue over her lower lip, and she immediately opened her lips only for explosions of colours to go off behind her closed eyelids when she felt Miranda's tongue rub delicately against her own, their mouths tasting of chocolate and wine. She was unable to stop a soft moan escaping her lips into the older woman's mouth, and Miranda felt such a visceral reaction to the sound that she didn't process any thought whatsoever, simply pulled Andrea impossibly closer and kissing her more deeply, more passionately, feeling all her nerve endings light up, and she shivered when Andrea's finger nails scratched gently at the hair on the nape of her neck, letting out a low hum of pleasure that had Andrea trembling in her arms. She had never felt anything like this before.

When they finally managed to pull away, they were both breathing heavily. Andrea's eyes were darkened and hooded, her lips still parted, her cheeks rosy as finally managed to tear her gaze away from Miranda's lips and into her eyes. Miranda was in a similar state, her eyes a brighter blue and shinning with something like disbelief, but the blush that spread from her neck to her cheeks and the way she was breathing heavily proved to Andy that she was just as affected by the kiss.

"Wow," Andy said, unable to form a coherent word in her mind.

Miranda nodded in agreement, her eyes falling back to Andy's lips before leaning in to capture them firmly in her own, and they were both swept up in each other once again, drifting in the bliss of their delicious heaven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos to the amazing beth (a.k.a barnacle boy) for proof reading this because I didn't have the heart to read over my good attempt with a mediocre outcome to give you lovely readers something worth reading :)


	10. Escapes & Ruins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna go ahead and apologise in advance for this. I look forward to being hated on in the comments ;)
> 
> (but seriously pretty please let me know what you think cause i always think i mess up whenever i update this story and i need some truthful input & critique from you lovely readers) xx

Miranda had no conscious notion of time. She had no idea how they had moved from the edge of the terrace to one of the lounge chairs. The only thing she could focus on was the way the younger woman was pressed against her body, her weight atop Miranda, between her legs; Andrea's hands everywhere, on her hips, caressing her waist, in her hair; the lips that kissed her so thoroughly, so passionately that Miranda wanted Andrea to eat her whole. She was breathless, light headed, her heart pounding when she felt Andrea's breasts press against hers, a moan being torn from her throat into the other woman's delicious mouth. She melted as she felt the shiver that coursed down Andrea's body at the sound, and Miranda knew that she could kiss this woman for hours.

Then those luscious lips left hers, kissing down her jawbone, up behind her ear. She whimpered at the caress, her legs trembling from the shot of arousal that coursed down her body to the very tips of her toes. Andrea smiled against her skin and suckled the spot, making Miranda moan again as her eyelids fell shut. Andrea continued her descent, leaving a trail of scorching kisses down her neck that made Miranda's hands fist around Andrea's locks of hair. She had never felt like this before. Her chest was rising and falling faster than it should, her heart felt like it would beat right out of her chest, and her body was much too warm. When Andrea sucked on her pulse point at the curve of her shoulder, she felt wetness pool between her legs, dripping onto her thighs. The noise she made was something she had never heard out of her own lips, and the way Andrea groaned in response made her tremble. Andrea's hands moved from her waist and up around her ribs before cupping her breasts, her thumbs stroking over hardened nipples. Miranda gasped, and she felt a trembling begin in her thighs on either side of Andrea's hips. Breathing became even more difficult; the feeling of Andrea's lips on her neck and her hands perfectly stroking her breasts was enough to make Miranda whimper on every intake of breath, her moans harmonising with the jazz music and the sounds of the city around them. Andrea became more enthusiastic with her hands, and when her lips latched on to that special spot behind her ear, Miranda couldn't help herself - her hips began moving to Andrea's rhythm, curling in seductive waves as she sought any friction that could relieve her torment. Then Andrea's teeth scraped over her skin lightly before biting into the flesh, and she pressed against Miranda's core with her thigh deliciously, and Miranda's body froze in place, her mouth dropping open as the breath was knocked out of her. A loud moan caught in her throat as her entire body shook with ecstasy. Moments passed as Miranda rode the waves of heated pleasure, and the stars above them blurred into distant twinkling lights. 

When she was finally able to draw breath, she blinked her eyes open, disbelief clouding her features as she realised Andrea had just made her climax. She felt herself blush furiously at the realisation that Andrea clearly knew she'd done it too - if the way she'd stopped her ministrations and instead panted against Miranda's neck was any indication. Miranda shut her eyes tightly, wanting to disappear, her embarrassment making her chest feel like there was a terrible weight on it. She wanted to hide away - she wanted the ground beneath her to open up and swallow her. _Ridiculous! Coming in two minutes like some horny teenager. She didn't even take off your clothes! And she knows all the sordid details about your lack of orgasms!_

Andy felt the tension radiating off the woman beneath her. She had felt Miranda climax against her, and Andy was turned on beyond belief. She'd just made Miranda Priestly come without even touching her under her clothes. And it had been amazing. Each and every response from the other woman to her ministrations had made Andy sink further and further into a ravenous state of arousal. She was certain she'd never been with anyone sexier or more addictive than Miranda - she wanted to do this for _hours_.

But then Miranda was removing her hands from her hair, and instead started pressing them against her chest, pushing her away. Andy gingerly sat up, her eyes focused on Miranda's face as the older woman sat up too. Blue eyes looked at the ground, her face tilted down and away from Andy's gaze.

"I have to go," Miranda said as she stood up on weak legs, her voice sounding much quieter and unstable than she'd intended.

"What?" Andrea said, pushing herself up to stand beside Miranda even as the woman turned away from her as if to look over the city view instead. "Miranda, what's - "

"Forgive me, my daughters are waiting for me to tuck them in." She uttered before turning completely away from Andrea and walking towards the door, her voice emotionless except for a slight tremble.

"Miranda, are you okay?" _Are we okay?_

Andrea was following her, and Miranda felt a pang in her chest when she heard how worried and shaken her voice sounded.

"Yes. As I said, I have to go. Please forgive me." _Please_. Miranda was working on autopilot, her body complying with her inner turmoil and her need to escape. Somehow the apartment that before had seemed spacey and homey had turned into something oppressive, bearing down upon her almost as heavily as the weight on her chest. She grabbed her purse and her jacket, painfully aware of Andrea standing only a few feet behind her - she could feel brown eyes on her every move, and Miranda tried with all her might to not look into them, afraid of what she'd find there.

Her head tilted down, her lock of hair covering her eye as she made her way past the young woman, she reached the door, turned the handle, swung it open, stepped out -

_"Miranda."_

The velvet voice she had come to cherish so much trembled, and before she knew it she was looking back over her shoulder, straight into brown eyes reflecting such deep hurt and confusion that Miranda felt herself lose her breath at the terrible sight. Nobody had looked at her this way before. The weight on her chest grew heavier instantly, and she quickly turned away and rushed down the hall, not even taking the elevator, instead flying down the stairs, only one thought making its way through her mind.

_Forgive me._

 

.....-.....

 

 

"I've already _told_ you guys, I didn't do anything!" Andy growled and downed the shot placed in front of her by Doug, her face contorting into a grimace of distaste even as warmth erupted in her chest and stomach.

"Come on, you must have done something! You were at your place with this mysterious _M_ person, after spending a romantic day together, and she suddenly can't get out of there fast enough? You must have done something." Lily said, indulging in a generous gulp of her rum and coke.

Andy groaned and dropped her head on top of her arms that were crossed atop the bar. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, blocking out the sounds of people's loud talk and laughter around them and the music booming from the speakers. She mumbled something, and could feel Lily and Doug leaning closer at either side of her.

"What was that?" said Doug, sharing a look with Lily over Andy's slumped form.

"I said," Andy said through gritted teeth before raising her head and staring straight ahead. "I made her orgasm."

Lily's eyebrows shot up, and Doug leaned back in his chair with widened eyes.

"That's it?" Lily asked, frowning.

Andy nodded. "We kissed for the first time out in my terrace, and I got a bit, um, overenthusiastic, and I made her climax without doing much. I didn't even go underneath her clothes."

There was a brief pause, and Doug whistled. "Damn, Andy's got _game_!" He hollered jovially before Andy punched his arm.

Lily rolled here eyes. "Andy, look at me," Andy turned away from glaring at Doug - who was rubbing his arm and pouting at her - and focused her attention on Lily instead. "You're the psychologist here, and the only who actually knows who she is. Hell, you probably know her almost better than anyone else! Talk to us, tell us why you think she freaked out. You'll figure it out. Otherwise that degree was really kinda useless, huh?" She smirked.

Andy stuck her tongue out at her for that last jest, but then her expression became serious, concentrated.

"Well, clearly it was her coming that made her freak out. I mean, I didn't have to do much, and she seemed to really be, um, _enjoying herself_ beforehand. Maybe it's because she hasn't had many good sexual partners, or because she's not used to finishing so easily and quickly and the fact I made her do that just like that..." Andy pulled at her hair, groaning in frustration. "Ugh! I just don't know what to do. It's been five days and she hasn't answered any of my calls or texts, even though I apologised for doing anything that made her uncomfortable. Without talking to her, I can't be sure about what made her freak and run like that. I just-" Andy let out a deep sigh, feeling her shoulders slump, and the pain in her chest was getting more difficult to handle the more she thought about Miranda. "I don't know what to do."

Doug placed his hand on her back, and Andy closed her eyes at the familiar touch, the comforting warmth he always gave her.

"I think you need to grow a pair and confront her in person. You know where she lives, right? And you've been talking enough that you more or less know her every-day schedule."

"Not that it doesn't sound creepy or anything," Andy said sarcastically, snorting mirthlessly. "'Oh, hey! Remember me? I made you come in my terrace with pretty much just neck kisses, about five days ago? Would you pretty please tell me why the fuck you disappeared? I promise I'm not a stalker though!' Yeah, it'll totally work." Andy rolled her eyes, and then winced when Lily slapped her arm.

"Girl, you need to get your shit together. This thing with _M_ is obviously unresolved. You're gonna be tearing yourself apart about it, and unless you track her down and talk to her, you won't get any answers. I don't think you have much choice here, hon."

Andy frowned, pouting, but then sighed. Deep down, she knew her friends were right.

"Okay, fine, fine. I'll try going to her place tomorrow."

"Keep us updated," Doug said with a knowing tone and a glint in his eyes. Andy couldn't help but laugh when he sipped from his straw and made a fish face with waggling eyebrows.

She really loved these dorks.

 

 

.....-.....

 

 

It took 25 minutes of waiting across the road from Miranda's house in the shade of a tree before Andy finally caught sight of the Mercedes rolling to a stop. Andy lost her breath as soon as she saw the silver hair appear, and her eyes were glued to Miranda as the woman gracefully climbed the steps to her home, making quick work of the locks before slipping inside and shutting the door. Andy let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, and closed her eyes, trying her best to gather as much courage as possible. She spent ten minutes outside, wanting to give Miranda the time to settle herself after a long day of work. The evening sun shone on Andrea's face, the sky turning a pinkish orange with white clouds drawing stripes across the horizon. Something settled in Andrea, and she took a deep breath as she reconciled the fact, no matter what happened with Miranda, things would be okay. When Andy considered enough time had gone by, she took another encouraging breath, crossed the street, climbed the stairs, and rang the doorbell.

The door opened, and Andrea's heart leapt into her throat. Miranda stood under the doorframe, resplendent in a soft violet dress, her silver forelock curling over her left eyebrow, her face betraying her surprise before a cool mask slammed into place.

"What on earth are you doing here?" She hissed, and Andy felt trepidation curl around her abdomen. Maybe this had been a bad idea.

"Mi-Miranda, sorry to bother you, but you weren't answering my texts, and I wanted to talk to you. I'm so sorry if I took things too far, I didn't mean-"

"Oh for heaven's sake," Miranda said through clenched teeth before motioning her to come in with an air of reluctance. "You can't be loud. My daughters are upstairs."

Andy gulped. _Oh_. She hadn't even thought about that when she'd planned to come over. They stood in the entrance hall, and Andy didn't even spare a second to look around the house, having eyes only for the woman in front of her, whose fists were clenched and her arms crossed over her chest, her face an expressionless, dark canvas.

"Okay," she whispered, trying to settle her nerves. She had forgotten how scary and intimidating Miranda could be. "Look, if I did something wrong, please tell me. I'm sorry if I pushed too far or made you feel uncomfortable. I-I don't really know why you disappeared, and it's driving me crazy, and I can't stop thinking about you and tearing myself up thinking I must have done something wrong - "

"Stop _talking_ ," Miranda hissed, raising a hand. "I don't want to discuss this." She made to step towards the door, as if she wanted to show Andy out of her life.

"Please, Miranda," Andy instinctively took Miranda's wrist, halting her steps and looking at her pleadingly, trying not to think about how her hushed voice sounded desperate even to her own ears. "I really like you, and I thought things were going well, can't we just - "

"No!" Miranda snapped and ripped her arm free from Andy's grasp. "We _can't_ , Andrea. Don't you see? This is ridiculous! What exactly _is_ this? What do you _want_ from me? I - "

"I just want _you,_ Miranda!" Andy said, her voice rising slightly before she let out a shaky sigh. She looked into deep blue eyes, trying to portray just how truthful her words were, before she continued in a hushed tone, "I just want you."

Miranda took a shuddering breath, her eyes clouding with something Andy couldn't read. "Well you can't have me. Don't you see? I can't _do_ this. Christ, do you have any idea the kind of scandal this would be? How it could affect my girls' lives? I can't think just about myself. I have a family, a career that I'm practically married to, and my boss who is looking for any reason to have me fired. For God's sake, I'm old enough to be your mother! It won't - This  _can't_ work. It ends now."

Andy was rooted to the spot, her eyes unfocusing briefly as Miranda's words washed over her, breaking her down, covering her in a suffocating blanket of grief and disappointment. Andy blinked, feeling trails of tears on her cheeks and not even having the thought to wipe them away. _This ends now._

She felt Miranda's hand wrap around her upper arm, and Andy was shaken out of her state of pained shock. Miranda led her - almost pushed her - in the direction of the door, swinging it open and pushing at Andy's arm until she stood atop the stairs. Andy lifted her gaze and looked right at Miranda, her brown orbs no doubt expressing the hurt that was consuming Andy. As if her tears weren't enough confirmation of it.

"I'm sorry, Andrea," Miranda said, running a hand through her silver hair, distressing the perfect coif, and Andy's fingers burned to touch that hair again. To kiss her again, and hold her, and go back to the way things were. Andy choked back a sob, but her shoulders trembled, and Miranda saw it. The older woman drew her eyes away from Andy, as if she wasn't able to look at her anymore. "Don't come back here again."

And then the door was shut, and Andy was left standing numbly in the porch, her eyes unfocused as the tears fell, feeling a sharp throb on her chest as the pain that consumed her spread all over her until she drowned in its emptiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know it's short and you're probably hating me right now but what can i say? i'm a sucker for some angst :) I promise to make it up to you guys x


	11. Memories & Discontentment

Andy threw back her fifth shot of the night. Her mind was finally starting to feel numb, her body warm. She waved at the bartender for another one, and then rested her cheek on her hand, her face squishing upwards unattractively.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Doug asked from somewhere to her right, and Andy rolled her eyes.

"Nope."

Lily bit her lip and looked at her friend worriedly. "Andy, come on. This isn't like you."

"This woman really did a number on you, huh?" Doug said, concern lacing his tone, but Andy was too far gone to care about anything.

"No shit, Sherlock. She stopped things before there was anything even happening between us, and then kicked me out of her house. Slammed the door in my face and everything. It was great." She knew she was being a sarcastic jerk, and that her friends were worried and didn't deserve to be treated this way, but she was in a terrible mood and she just wanted her mind to stop thinking about Miranda fucking Priestly. Who did she think she was, barging into Andy's life and then kicking her out like she was a bag of dirt? After all the kindness, time, and patience Andy had devoted on Miranda, this is how she was repaid? Drowning her sorrows in booze in a cheap bar with terrible music after crying and being miserable for the past two days? Is this what came from caring about people like La Priestly? Maybe the press was right about her. Maybe she _was_ a cold-hearted bitch.

Guilt soared up in her chest at thinking that, and Andy thumped her head down onto the bar, resisting the urge to slam her head open. Seriously? Miranda leads her on, has an _orgasm_ under Andy's superficial ministrations, and then kicks her out like garbage because she only now realised a relationship with Andy wasn't convenient for her? And what's worse, Andy didn't even have the heart to _hate_ her, or even think of her as a bitch. Great. All those psychology classes, and it turns out Andy is fucked up in the head all by herself.

She heard glass being placed near her head, and looked up to find a tequila shot and the waitress smiling at her in sympathy. No doubt, Andy painted quite the picture right now. Hair a mess, dark circles and swollen eyes, slumped over the bar as if she was ready to pass out on it. Jesus, what had become of her? She was a _psychologist_ , for God's sake.

She downed the shot, not even bothering with the salt and lemon, her face twisting up in a deep wince at the taste of it but enjoying the sharp burn making its way down her throat.

"Okay, that's it," Lily said, grabbing Andy's arm and pulling her off her stool.

Andy stumbled and had to lean against the bar to keep from falling, the room spinning briefly before her head cleared slightly. Boy, she was more wasted than she'd thought. She let Lily drag her across the bar to an empty booth, Doug following behind them. Andy dropped gracelessly onto the booth, and slumped back against the leather backrest, groaning.

" _Andy!_ " Lily barked, and Andy jumped, her eyes flying open from her drunken spacey state. "Listen to me. You need to get your shit together, dude. I have never seen you liked this over anyone before. Stop with the drinking, cause you need a clear head to pull yourself together and move on. It's obvious you and this _M_ woman just weren't meant to be. If she decides to not give you a chance, it's her loss."

Doug nodded and leaned forward. "Lily's right, munchkin. You're an amazing, talented, intelligent, _smoking hot_ lady," Andy snorted, and Doug grinned. "Anyone would be lucky to have you. If she can't see that, then it's her problem. You deserve to be treated better than this."

Andy let out a shuddering breath. "I know guys, I know." She rubbed her eyes tiredly, and an image of Miranda's face during their first therapy session swam behind her closed eyelids: expression lost and defeated, eyes holding a hopelessness and a pain that was so _real_ that something in Andy wanted to stitch her back together again. "She's just like nobody I've ever met, you know? She makes me feel things I've never felt before. And I know she's been really hurt, and that she's scared of fucking up. It's no excuse, I know that. But something in me just _sees_ her. I see how caring and loving she is, how hard she works to be perfect even though she isn't. Nobody is. I see how much she's been through and how much damage her past relationships have caused. And the worst part is that, even after everything, I just want her to be _happy_. I want her to find someone who treats her the way she deserves, someone she can trust and be herself with, someone who will put her above everyone else and not expect her to change in the slightest. And I don't know what this means, I feel so lost, I just - _fuck_ \- I think I've fallen for her, even though I know it's a bad idea, even though there's no chance for us. I just want - " Andy choked on her words. She didn't know at what point she'd started crying, but suddenly the pain on her chest was too much, and she leaned over the table, burying her face in her arms. "I just want to be back to how things were. I want to go back..."

She lost her words as she felt like there was something inside her being torn apart - or was that the over-consumption of tequila? She felt fingers run through her tousled hair comfortingly, and closed her eyes, concentrating in taking deep breaths and in the movement of Lily's fingers in her hair.

"It's going to be okay," she heard Lily whisper next to her face, and then Doug's warm hand was on her back moving in soothing circles.

And, for the first time in the two days since Miranda had shot her down, Andy felt herself relax.

 

.....-.....

 

Two weeks had passed since Miranda last saw Andrea. Two weeks with visions of brown, tear-filled eyes full of hurt playing like a constant loop on Miranda's mind. Two weeks of restless sleep, her dreams tormented by the young woman's face. Two weeks without a single text or call, without Andrea's bubbling laughter in her ears, without her light-hearted banter, without her kindness. Miranda felt a strange kind of emptiness in the depth of her being, and she couldn't seem to shake herself out of whatever stupor she'd fallen into. Instead of the easy flow of creativity regarding fashion, she had to constantly force herself to concentrate on her magazine. Instead of coming home to her daughters in good spirits, she just felt drained. And no matter what she was doing, or who she was with, her subconscious was constantly reminding her there was something missing. Or, more specifically, someone.

She had spent the last two weeks thinking about the young woman at the least opportune moments. She remembered how Andrea's hands felt in hers, the warmth of her fingertips, the softness of her skin; her giddiness when they had been in the spa's hot tub together, her body beautiful and supple encased in the simple black bathing suit the spa had provided them with; her eyes turning a bright honey colour in the sunlight, and a dark reflection of the city lights under the moonlight; she remembered her voice, soothing and warm, her words always kind and understanding with no judgement whatsoever. And, _God_ , Miranda couldn't help but remember the way Andrea's lips had felt, burning her alive, leaving trails of fire in their wake on her most sensitive spots Miranda hadn't even known she had. But what was she supposed to do? There was no chance it could have worked. There was no chance that someone as young and as beautiful as Andrea had anything to find in Miranda but disappointment and heartbreak. The press would tear them apart, their careers would be compromised, her daughters would be put through hell once again, and in the end they would end up resenting each other for the uphill warfare that would surely be of their relationship. So, no, Miranda was not happy, but she had made the right decision.

Which is why her mouth dropped open when Caroline cornered her during dinner regarding her strange behaviour lately.

"Just drop it already, mom. We know something's up, you might as well just _tell_ us."

Miranda's eyebrows shot up, and her eyes shifted to Cassidy who was looking at her with the identical expression of expectation that her sister had.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Caroline. Now eat your greens."

Cassidy rolled her eyes, finally deciding to intervene. "Seriously, mom, cut the crap."

"Language!"

"We'll keep swearing if you don't tell us what happened mom," Caroline sassed, raising an eyebrow and giving a smug smirk.

"Caroline Marie Priestly, you better watch your tone with me," Miranda growled, but to her dismay her children just rolled her eyes in a perfect imitation of her tell-tale expression.

"Mom, you've been miserable lately. We just wanna know what's going on with you. We're not as dumb as you think," Cassidy said, crossing her arms and looking at her mother expectantly.

Miranda sighed. She was always outnumbered with these two.

"I have never thought you two were dumb, Cassidy. If anything, you're more intelligent and perceptive than I would like." She reached up to rub her eyes, but caught the self-satisfied grins her daughters wore.

"Only cause we know what to look for. So, are you gonna tell us what happened, or are you just gonna go around the subject?"

Miranda sighed heavily again, and shut her eyes.

"Come on, moooooooom," Cassidy whined loudly, knowing this tactic irritated her mother beyond belief.

"Just tell us!" Caroline said, jumping up and standing beside her mother before starting to chant, "Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!"

The cacophony made Miranda's head throb, the head ache she had been carrying around for days making it feel like her head was splitting open, and something inside her broke.

"I'm heart-broken, okay?!" She yelled, her voice carrying over the sound of her daughters, and everything became silent instantly. Miranda let out a deep breath that seemed to carry the weight of the world in it, and slumped forward on the table, leaning her elbows on either side of her plate and burying her face in her hands. Despite thinking she'd already cried enough tears over Andrea, she felt her eyes sting, and she bit her lip, preferring to feel the sting of it instead of the agony in her heart.

A hand landing warmly on her shoulder made her jump, and she lifted her gaze to see Caroline standing beside her, face serious and eyes full of concern, her hand rubbing down her shoulder onto her back. She looked at Cassidy, sitting to her left, who was worrying her bottom lip, a frown on her face as she looked at her mother full of worry.

"What happened?" Cassidy whispered, as if she was trying to make up for the yelling before.

Miranda closed her eyes.

"I met someone," Miranda swallowed thickly before lowering her eyes. "A - A woman."

When she heard no reaction coming from her children, she gathered courage and looked up at two unfazed, expectant expression.

"Okay, and what happened?" Caroline said, as if the detail of this woman's gender was as insignificant as her favourite color.

Miranda couldn't help her lips twisting upwards in a smile. At least she had done something right in motherhood if her children didn't show any prejudices towards same-sex love.

"Well, I fell for her. And I think she fell for me, too. But I can't see how it could possibly work. She's much younger than I am, and this could damage our careers when the press finds out. Plus, I had you two to think about and I-" Miranda took a steadying breath, she lifted her hand to run it through Caroline's soft strawberry hair. "I pushed her away. I ended it."

Cassidy's frown deepened. "But, mom, if you like her-"

"It's for the best, Cassidy. It could not have worked out. Better to end things before we got more hurt."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Oh _please_ mom, that is the most stupid reason I've ever heard."

Miranda's eyes snapped to her eldest daughter by two minutes, taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"Can you predict the future? Are you some kind of fortune-teller we didn't know about? How did you know it wouldn't work? We," she said, gesturing between her sister and herself. "Just want to see you happy. We don't care if that's with a guy or with a woman, or what age the person is. If she makes you happy you need to grow a pair and go get her. The press will get over it, and you know your career is untouchable at this point." Caroline looked deep into her eyes, Miranda barely able to say a single word.

"Mom," Cassidy said, and Miranda wordlessly turned to look at her. "You've been miserable for the past couple of weeks. We could tell. So if you like her and she makes you happy, you need to get your shit together and get her back."

"Language," Miranda murmured reflexively, not really able to say much of anything else.

"But you have to apologise. Pushing her away like that probably wasn't cool. You were way too harsh, mom," Caroline said, Miranda's mind latching onto that last phrase and finally able to think clearly once again.

"Wait, what do you mean I was too harsh? How would you-" And realisation dawned. " _You heard it?_ "

Cassidy nodded, looking slightly guilty. "We were curious, and we hid at the top of the stairs."

"I can't believe this," Miranda muttered, running a hand through her hair. It was bad enough her daughters had heard several arguments between her and Stephen when he would get too drunk and ignore Miranda's pleas to stay quiet. Now they had heard her ending things with Andrea before they even knew there was a new love interest in their mothers' lives.

"It wasn't _our_ fault! You went to get the door and you were gone a while, so we got curious! By the time we got to the stairs, you were telling her why it couldn't work out," Caroline said defensively before lowering her eyes. "She looked really hurt, mom. I think you need to do some serious apologising."

"And she's really pretty," Cassidy said, and Miranda turned to her once again, almost as if in a daze. " And she obviously cares about you, so..." she gestured with her hands indicating towards the hall.

Miranda blinked.

"Are you sure about this? You don't even know her, she could be horrible for all you know," she said sceptically, even though her heart beat faster just at the thought of getting Andrea back.

"Someone who makes you as happy as you've been lately is worth keeping. You deserve that, mom. The press will get over it, your careers can recover, and _we're_ fine with it. So you have no more excuses."

Miranda looked from one daughter to the next. Could it really be this easy?

"I'll think about it. I doubt that, after the way I treated her, she will forgive me just like that. And as for your eavesdropping," she said, narrowing her eyes and reigning some of the control she'd lost somewhere along this conversation. "You're grounded - a week without TV."

As twin exclamations of outrage, Miranda raised her hand. "Ah! It's wrong to eavesdrop, so you'll be grounded accordingly. Now," she said, smiling and opening her arms. "Come here, you two."

Caroline immediately took a step forward into her mother's embrace, and Cassidy jumped up from her seat to join in the small family hug. Miranda took a deep breath, the scent of her daughters' hair settling something within her, and she squeezed them tighter against her.

 

.....-.....

 

Andy wanted to tear the hair out of her scalp with her fingers. Two of her most infuriating patients were sitting opposite her, and they were really getting on Andy's last nerve. Perhaps she was just more irritable than usual, but today Andy simply did not have the patience to deal with this couple in particular.

"It's not my fault he'd rather drink than have sex!" The woman, Darleen, snarled, her eyes furious, glaring at her husband.

"If you were a little _nicer_ , maybe I wouldn't have to drink so much!" Peter snarled back, and Andy rubbed her temple. No matter what she did, these two always ended up having an argument.

"Please let's try to keep the comments respectful and productive," Andy said. This argument between a marriage was so old, Andy had heard it a million times. It didn't help that it reminded her of Miranda's marriage to that alcoholic idiot who seemed to love to tear her down just to make himself feel more like a man. 

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" Darleen said, gesticulating wildly and snapping Andy back into the present and away from thoughts of the silver-haired woman. "I don't like having sex with someone who's drunk. He gets so clumsy, it's not even good for me!"

Andy bit her lip as Peter went red. There was an outburst due any moment now, so Andy intervened before it could escalate.

"Alright," she said, standing up. They both looked at her after sending one last glare at each other. "This seems to be going nowhere, and your hour is nearly up. I suggest you both spent tonight away from each other. Book a hotel, and spend the night there. No communication between you. I want you to do some of the relaxing steps I've told you about, and then make a list of everything you like about each other. This is a thorough list. Think all the way back to when you fell in love, and remember what that felt like, or what made you go crazy for each other. Then, in another list, write _nicely_ what you would like the other person to put effort into changing. Remember, be nice, not insulting, and don't ask each other to change something you can't. Then, tomorrow afternoon, go back home. Don't discuss what you wrote. Instead, go over old photos - wedding and family photos and such. Remember the good times. And then, once you have done good time in reminding yourselves of why you love each other, then you share peacefully what you would like the other to change so you can be happier. Is this alright with you both?"

They both nodded, and Andy nearly collapsed with relief. After receiving her due, she showed them out. As soon as the door shut behind them, Andy went back to her studio and collapsed on the sofa. Closing her eyes, she let the soft music drift her thoughts away from herself until her mind was blissfully blank. Thank God that was her last appointment for the day, because Andy was about ready to fall asleep. With a grunt she got up, gathered her things, and left.

She took the long way home, making her way through central park. Despite the late evening's brisk air, she took a deep breath, enjoying the sounds of the city that sounded so distant beyond the trees. Sometimes, Andy wished she lived alone in a cottage in the middle of nowhere, so she could wake up to the sounds of birds chirping and fall asleep to the symphony of crickets and owls in the wilderness. She opened her eyes, snapping back to reality, and made her way to the park entrance near her home. A memory came unbidden and unwanted of walking this same path with Miranda, hands linked, the sun shinning down on them, making blue eyes look like the ocean and creating a halo around silver hair that made the woman look painfully soft. Andy shook her head and let out a huff of frustration. Two and a half weeks later, and Miranda still managed to jump into her thoughts at seemingly random moments. It was unfair, and it made Andy want to gather all thoughts and memories about Miranda, throw them into the river and watch them sink away from her.

But, alas, it was an impossible wish, so Andy simply opted to distract her thoughts with making a shopping list, and then a bucket list, and then tried listing her favourite authors. By the time she was listing her favourite musicians, she was on the elevator on her way up to her penthouse apartment. The elevator doors slid open, and Andy fumbled with her bags as she made her way out, her eyes watching her step so she didn't trip on her heels. As she approached her door, she caught movement from the corner of her eye, and her gaze immediately snapped up.

She nearly dropped her things.

Her heart certainly felt like it dropped to the pit of her stomach, and Andy was unable to move as she watched Miranda push herself off the wall next to her front door, her blue eyes downcast, her fingers fidgeting with a bracelet, her shoulders tense.

Andy continued to stare at her in disbelief before remembering to breathe. She blinked, and forced herself to pull it together.

"Miranda," she said, trying to ignore the painful throb in her chest just at speaking the woman's name aloud. When blue eyes finally looked into hers, it took a herculean effort just to remain upright. "What are you doing here?"

Miranda visibly swallowed, and Andy tried not to focus on the movement of her throat. "I - " her voice sounded quiet and hoarse, and she cleared her throat before continuing. "I wondered if we could talk."

Andy's eyebrows shot up. " _You_ want to talk to _me_? I thought you'd said it all already, remember? That time you _oh so viciously_ shot me down and kicked me out of your home, out of your _life_?"

She had no idea where this raging anger came from, but suddenly it was there, blinding, lacing her words with a viciousness she was unaccustomed to. Miranda visibly flinched at her words.

"I understand that you're upset - "

"Oh, you _understand_? How thoughtful of you!" Andy snarled with fake enthusiasm. "Well, thank you for stopping by to let me know. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to."

She walked to her door, ignoring the woman standing only a few feet away from her, ignoring the blue eyes filled with hurt that followed her every move. Andy knew she was being harsh, but _goddamn_ it this woman had hurt her deeper than anyone else ever had and she was allowed to lash out. Hell, a part of her _wanted_ to hurt Miranda just so she would feel even the slightest pain she had caused Andy.

"Andrea, I only want to talk - "

"No, Miranda," she barked, shoving the key into her door and unlocking it. "I'm done wasting my time. Anyways, I think you already said enough, don't you?"

"Wait, I - "

"Now please remove yourself from my hallway, you already made it very clear you wanted _nothing_ to do with me - "

"Andrea, _please_."

That made Andy pause mid way into her apartment, and she couldn't stop herself from turning to look at the woman standing in her hallway. Miranda's expression was desperate, her eyes pleading and filled with something Andy couldn't understand. She had never heard Miranda's voice sound so frenzied, so forlorn. Despite the heels she was wearing, she looked so small standing beyond Andy's doorway, shoulders curling inwards, hands gripping each other, the harsh lighting showcasing her tired eyes and the circles underneath them, the tension between her brows and around her mouth more prominent than Andy had ever seen.

"Please." She said brokenly, her eyes shining in a way that Andy thought she might actually cry.

She let out a breath. Miranda looked _miserable_. More so than Andy had ever seen her in any of their therapy appointments. Gulping down her anger, she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to go against what everything inside her was telling her to do. When she opened her eyes again, Miranda looked even worse - hurt, rejected, heartbroken - and the thought that she was making Mirada feel the same way she had felt two weeks ago was unbearable. Despite her anger, despite wanting to hurt Miranda, Andy realised she wasn't capable of it. What she had said in the bar was true: she wanted Miranda to be happy. She wanted this infuriating, impossible, talented, magnificent, _beautiful_ woman to be nothing but happy.

Miranda trembled slightly, and then turned to go, the expression on her face so terrible that Andy felt her chest constrict painfully.

"Alright," Andy said, and Miranda froze for a moment before turning back to face the brunette, her face filled with _hope_. It took Andy's breath away.

She tilted her head and stepped further into her apartment, hearing Miranda's heels hesitantly clicking after her before the door shut behind them both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorrryyyyyyyy I know you guys hate me right now but please let me know what you think :) Your comments always motivate me to keep writing. You are my muse.
> 
> What do you think should happen next? Should Andy forgive Miranda just like that? Should Miranda have to grovel? Or should they move on from their idiocy and get into bed already? ;)


	12. New Beginnings

This was beyond uncomfortable. Miranda was sitting on her couch, her fingers wrapped around a ceramic mug of piping hot tea, her knuckles white with the pressure of gripping it so tight. Part of Andy was fearful she would shatter the mug - it was a special token of when Lily dragged her to a pottery class three years ago - but Miranda clearly needed something to hold onto, so Andy didn't say anything. Instead, she sat on the armchair across from Miranda, legs crossed, arms folded over her middle, as if this was the last place she wanted to be. Even though this was _her_ home.

The more Miranda observed Andy, the more her nagging thoughts whispered that maybe she shouldn't have come to Andrea's here. Maybe she should have called, or gone to Andrea's office. Maybe she should forget this whole thing -

"As much as I love sitting in silence," Andy said, sighing with something close to exasperation. "I've had a long day, and I would love to get this done with so I can get some rest."

Miranda swallowed. Andrea wasn't making this easy for her, but then again, why would she? Miranda had been terrible with her. She had purposely hurt her. What right did she have to be treated better than this? In any case, Miranda knew she deserved worse. Far, far worse. She was lucky she was even allowed to come in. Taking a sip of the herbal tea Andrea had served them, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She gathered all her courage, trying to pull herself together despite feeling more frail and vulnerable than she had ever felt before. Opening her eyes, she looked up into Andrea's brown ones, willing herself to lower her defensive walls and let her emotions shine through so that Andrea could see the depth of her emotions. Of her regret.

"I came here to apologise," Miranda said, her voice sounding as truthful as she'd ever heard it. Andrea's eyebrows raised, but then her expression became neutral again. "I don't expect to be forgiven, because what I did to you is unforgivable," Miranda cleared her throat when her voice trembled, but refused to give Andrea anything but the truth, so she continued. "But you deserve an apology nonetheless. You deserve far better than the way I treated you." She paused, reaching up with one hand to rub at her forehead, trying to ease the tension there and buy herself time to put words to her feelings.

"The truth is, I was a coward. I have never met anyone like you before, someone who means so much to me after such a short time of knowing each other. Someone I care about so deeply that I would do anything to see you happy. I don't understand it - how, after all these years spent building walls around me to protect myself, keeping everyone at a distance, _you_ were able to bring the walls crumbling down so easily. And I _let_ you." Miranda swallowed thickly, her eyes dropping to the mug on her lap as she let out a shaky sigh.

Putting her feelings into words was a far greater challenge than she'd thought. How to explain to this woman everything Miranda felt for her? How to explain the guilt and the regret that was tearing her up inside each second of every day and night? Taking a fortifying breath, she looked up at Andrea, noting how nothing in her expression had changed. Miranda tried not to weep at the sight of her Andrea so distant, so closed off from her.

"I was so scared, that night in your terrace. I - I have never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. I didn't know I was even able to feel that way just from someone's touch." Miranda fingers trembled as she pushed past everything in her instinct telling her to stop talking, to cease from making even more of a fool of herself.

 _You need to do this._  

"But it's more than that. Everything you do brings a reaction in me. When you smile, I feel at peace. Happy. The only other people to make me feel that way just from seeing their joy are my daughters. And when you talk passionately about politics, or the things you love, or even the importance of crust-filled pizza, I can't help but be mesmerised by you. The way your eyes light up, how you lean forward when you get excited about a topic, how your eyebrows draw together and create that adorable crease between them whenever you're thinking hard about something. When you're frustrated or angry or sad, something inside me _needs_ to know what's wrong, and I feel this all-consuming urgency to help you that goes against all my selfish tendencies."

Miranda felt her eyes sting, and she bit her lip. She continued, unable to keep her voice from trembling. "And when you cry my heart breaks, even if I was the cause of your tears." Her voice broke, and she lowered her eyes, trying to compose herself.

"No matter what you do, Andrea, you affect me more than anyone else I've ever met. I've never been at anyone's mercy the way I am in yours. I don't know what you've done to me. My happiness, my well-being - hell, even my _sleep_ \- everything is under your control. And that _terrifies_ me." Miranda looked back up, and Andrea's expression was softer now, her eyes looking at Miranda in a way that made her want to throw herself at the woman's feet and beg forgiveness.

"I realised all of this that night in your terrace. It overwhelmed me. At that moment - when you kissed me the way you did - I realised that the very core of my being is ruled by you, and you didn't even _know_ _it_. I panicked, because never in my life have I allowed someone to be of such vitality to my personal happiness. I always believed that to be the most idiotic weakness in humans, and there I was, being subjected to you in a way I hated and loved all at once. So I fled. I had to get away from you, I needed time to process my realisation, to _understand_. And the more I thought about it, the more consumed I became by my fears." Miranda squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to look at Andrea anymore, wishing she could disappear from existence. "I manipulated myself into believing we don't stand a chance, because the only thing that scares me more than your power over me is the thought of having you and then losing you forever."

Miranda let out a breath, choosing to ignore how it caught in her throat. She couldn't see Andrea, but her silence was deafening, and Miranda's insides turned to lead, making her feel heavy and more burdened than she could ever recall being. She wanted to drown, to be weighed down until only darkness surrounded her. She had hurt Andrea, more than she'd thought she had the power to, and now she wanted to tear herself apart at the woman's feet. After several moments of silence, Miranda dared open her eyes. Andrea had an unreadable expression on her face, but her eyes were shining so brightly as they looked into Miranda's that she felt like all her breath left her in a rush that left her gasping for air.

"As I said, I didn't come to be forgiven," Miranda continued, unable to bear the silence anymore. "I will not - cannot ask you to do that. But I wanted to come here and make sure you know how important you are to me. The thought of you believing I want nothing to do with you... Andrea, you couldn't be further from the truth. I want _everything_."

She watched as Andrea's lips parted slightly, but Miranda had given up trying to read the young woman's facial expressions. Ever since she'd seen Andrea exit the elevator, the young woman had been unreadable, just out of reach even though Miranda was reaching out to her with everything she had.

"I spoke to my daughters and they said that I treated you horribly and that I need to grovel, and they're right. So it's what I will do, because you deserve that much, and more. I am so sorry, Andrea. You have done nothing but improve my life. You've filled it with light and laughter and happiness and _hope_ , and I will never forgive myself for turning you away. Now my life is devoid of all the good things you brought. I miss your laughter, and your smile, and the way your eyes look in the sunlight. I miss _you_.

"I suppose that is my punishment for treating you as badly as I did. I hope that one day you can find enough kindness in your heart to forgive a foolish old woman who let her fears dictate her actions. If you ever choose to return to me, I will be there to greet you, awaiting your light - the sunrise of my life."

Miranda took a deep, calming breath and stood up, making her way to the door. Her heart felt like it was being torn apart, shreds of it being broken into pieces with every step she took away from Andrea. She had laid herself completely bare. She had held nothing back, opening herself up like she never dreamed she could. Even if Andrea didn't forgive her, even if Miranda was to spend the rest of her life hating herself for pushing the young woman away, at least she would find some peace in knowing she had given it her all.

As she grasped the doorknob, feeling nauseous just at the thought of never seeing Andrea again, she felt warm fingers grab her wrist. Miranda froze, the touch so electrifying it sent shock waves up Miranda's arm, leaving goose bumps in their wake. Slowly, she turned, and found Andrea standing next to her, the warm hand around her wrist pulling her gently away from the door. Miranda looked at her in confusion, but she was unable to stop the small spark of hope that filled her chest.

"Andrea?" She asked cautiously, hating the way her voice trembled. Brown eyes looked at her with a softness in them that made Miranda's knees feel weak.

"Don't go," she said, speaking for the first time since Miranda had begun her monologue. "Not yet."

Miranda swallowed thickly and nodded before she allowed Andrea to pull her back towards the couch. She nearly melted with relief when Andrea sat down beside her.

"You hurt me, Miranda," she said, and her voice was so filled with the emotion that Miranda wanted to dig a blade into her own chest. How could she have been so ruthless as to harm this lovely, pure creature? Perhaps everything they said about her was true. Maybe she really _was_ a monster. "I've never felt so hurt in my life," Andy continued, and the knot in Miranda's throat tightened so much that she could hardly swallow. "I've been so miserable, so  _lost_ , because I had no idea what I had done to deserve your cruelty. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get you out of my head." Miranda felt her eyes sting, and the pain inside her chest grew so much that she was certain she couldn't draw breath even if she tried. "Even when my friends tried to comfort me and cheer me up, nothing could make me feel like myself again. I hate that you did that to me, and that it affected me so deeply."

Miranda's head bowed in shame, and she shut her eyes when she felt tears blurring her vision. She knew this would happen, that Andrea - _sweet, darling Andrea_ \- would hate her, but she had held the smallest bit of hope that she wouldn't. That it wasn't too late for Miranda to fix the mess she'd made. But hearing Andrea say these things - it was like a part of her was being torn to shreds. She felt the walls she had built around herself towering around her, closing in on her. Her mind was in turmoil, unable to focus on anything but the fact that she had turned something beautiful into something filled with pain and hatred.

Suddenly, she felt warmth on her cheek, so faint Miranda thought she'd imagined it. But then she felt it more acutely: soft fingertips caressing the contour of her cheekbone, wiping away her tears, before cupping her face and gently tilting her face up. Andrea was looking at her, cradling her face in the palm of her hand, her almond eyes filled with compassion.

"But I don't hate you. I need time to trust you again, but I could never hate you."

Miranda broke apart. A sob was ripped from her chest, her face constricting in painful relief. She was vaguely aware of fingertips wiping away her tears, but Miranda could do nothing except cry. _She doesn't hate me._

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Andrea. Oh _God_ , I - " She tried to take a deep breath, and couldn't remember the last time she had cried like this. "I wish I could take it all back. I wish I could go back and change it. I'm so sorry."

Andy bit her lip. Never in a million years had she thought plausible the notion that Miranda Priestly would be in her living room, crying for her and apologising so sincerely. She had never even expected Miranda to apologise in the first place. But she seemed so honest, so heart broken, that Andy felt her anger and her pain slowly subside.

It didn't make what Miranda had done to her okay by any means, but Andy could find it in her heart to understand. She scooted across the couch closer to her, and tentatively lifted her arm to wrap it around Miranda's shoulder while her right hand continued wiping away her tears. Miranda's body seemed to deflate in relief and exhaustion, and she leaned against Andrea's side, pressing her body close. Nothing could have prepared Andrea to see the intimidating, controlled, emotionally distant woman like this.

They stayed that way for long moments as Miranda pulled herself together, and when her crying had finally subsided she looked up at Andy, mascara stains running down her cheeks, eyes red and swollen, cheeks flushed and her hair a mess after anxiously running her hand through it so many times. Andy felt her heart leap in her chest. All of this, because of _her_. Miranda had come here, had waited god knows how long outside Andy's door, had opened up and bared her soul in a way Andy was certain she had never done before, and then had _cried_ when Andy had not turned her completely away.

Wow.

She reached towards the coffee table and snatched a tissue from the box before offering it to Miranda. The older woman smiled weakly and murmured a quiet 'thank you' before wiping at her cheeks and nose. Andy marvelled at it - Miranda's make up was practically gone, and her skin looked soft despite the dark circles under her eyes and their redness from crying.

"So," Andy said, not sure where to begin. "You spoke to the girls about me?"

Miranda nodded and blew her nose. "Yes. I told them everything. Well, not _everything_ ," she said sheepishly, and bit her lip. "It appears that having you in my life made such a difference that they noticed me being... happier, I suppose. More at ease. And when I pushed you away... _well_. It seems I was hell to live with. And to work for, I'm sure." Miranda's lips twitched at the corners. "Regardless, they want me to be happy, whomever that may be with. And I know for a fact that the only person that has made me feel true happiness is you."

Andy blinked. Double wow.

"Oh," she said, finding herself speechless. The green specks around the blue of Miranda's eyes seemed brighter now, more brilliant, and Andy was lost in them for a moment.

"Well, I'm glad your daughters only want what's best for you. I do, too. I need you to understand this, Miranda. I want you to be happy. Above all else, I want to be the person making you happy, but I can't go through that hurt again. If we continue this, you have to promise that you'll talk to me, okay? Stop jumping to conclusions, stop overthinking yourself into a frenzy, stop trying to push me away. I know it's not easy, but if you just _talk_ to me, we can work things out, okay?"

Hope bloomed in Miranda's chest like a spring flower after a long, cold winter. She nodded eagerly, her forelock bouncing above her eyebrow with the movement, and Andy had to keep from melting at how adorable it was.

"I promise," Miranda said. "I will do my best, Andrea. I can't lose you again. I had to be away from you to realise that my life without you is an unfulfilled emptiness that I would loathe to return to."

Andrea swallowed thickly, feeling butterflies flying wild and free in her stomach and the older woman's declaration. "You have quite the way with words, don't you? I mean, _'sunrise of my life'_? Really, Miranda?"

Miranda's face softened. "Absolutely. After all, what is the point of being an Editor if I can't use the beauty of language to express the truths in my mind?"

Andy rolled her eyes but couldn't help the uplift of her lips.

"So," Miranda asked, suddenly timid. "What now?"

Andy's expression became thoughtful. "Well, I still need some time to trust you again." Miranda nodded in acceptance and understanding. "How about we just see where things go? Maybe we could start by going to dinner and take it from there?"

Miranda smiled. "That sounds wonderful. My treat, of course. I'm not done grovelling yet, _Sunrise_."

Andy snorted despite feeing her heart flutter at the new nickname. "How can a girl say no to that?"

"You can't. That's the point." Miranda sassed back, a radiant smile on her face, a softness in her eyes showing how happy and glad she was that their banter was back.

Andy was taken by the tender expression on Miranda's face. Even though she still ached over how Miranda had treated her, she couldn't help but feel content and relieved that she was back in her life. She looked so beautiful. Her make up was practically non-existent, her face soft and the most vulnerable Andy had ever seen her. Sky blue eyes looked at her with such joy and adoration that Andy felt all her feelings for this magnificent woman come rushing back with a vengeance.

Her expression must have given something away, because suddenly Miranda was looking at her mouth and biting her bottom lip. No matter how much Andy wanted to wait, no matter how much her mind screamed that they should take it slow, it was impossible to do anything but lean forward and capture Miranda's lips with her own.

Andy was consumed by the tenderness of the kiss. Miranda moved her lips hesitantly, carefully, and sparks shot through their bodies as they melted into each other, sighing in relief. Andy reached up and cupped Miranda's cheek in her hand, caressing her jawline with her fingertips, and Miranda shivered. Andy felt a hand cradle the nape of her neck, and long fingers running through her hair, and suddenly Andy's body was on fire. She could do nothing but moan softly before deepening the kiss.

Miranda was floating on a cloud. Nothing could have prepared her for the feeling of Andrea's lips on hers again. She had been so consumed by passion last time she had no time to process the suddenness of their physical connection. This time was different. This time it was slow, and deep, and she was relishing each movement, each caress, each touch of Andrea's tongue. Because they weren't just kissing- Andrea was _making love_ to her with her mouth. Miranda's flesh burned with heated goose bumps, she could hear her heart thundering in her ears, and her fingertips itched to touch more of Andrea even as she caressed her hair, her face, her neck.

Her mind shut off, and all she could do was let herself be consumed by the sensation that her universe had suddenly aligned and everything felt _right._ Andrea sucked on her lower lip tenderly once more before moving back, their arms still around each other, their breathing laboured, hearts pounding in a combined rhythm of pleasure. Miranda looked dazed, her unfocused eyes unable to look away from the plump, swollen lips that had so deliciously kissed her senseless.

With rosy cheeks, Miranda blinked, trying to calm her body and bring herself back to reality. Andrea was gazing at her with darkened eyes filled with desire, but Miranda could see the affection and warmth shining in the almond orbs. Her heart swelled, and she wanted nothing more than to ravish the younger woman, to show her how devoted Miranda was to her happiness and pleasure. But she knew she needed to take things slow, so she took a deep breath to compose herself.

"I should go," she said, clearing her throat when she heard how raspy her voice sounded. Andrea's face fell into a disappointed, crestfallen look, and Miranda immediately moved closer and cupped her cheek, looking into her eyes intently. "I would rather stay here with you, believe me, but I have to work on the Book, and I promised my girls a movie night. I'll call you, alright?"

Andrea's face relaxed, and she smiled lazily. "Alright."

They stood, and Miranda pulled on her coat, despite feeling reluctance to leave Andrea's company. She walked to the door, acutely aware of Andrea following closely behind her, and had to momentarily close her eyes and take a deep breath just to keep from turning around and pulling the young woman against her again.

"Let me get the door for you," Andrea's voice caressed the back of her neck, and she shivered. She felt Andrea press against her back as her arm reached around her to open the door, and Miranda silently begged any higher powers for mercy.

When she'd finally managed to step out into the hallway and away from Andrea's tantalising body, she turned to look at Andrea. Her heart clenched at seeing the brunette leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, her lazy grin wrinkling her eyes at the corners as she gazed at Miranda knowingly.

"I'll see you for dinner, then?" she asked, voice smooth.

Miranda nodded, licking her lips when her mouth went dry at just the thought of what could happen after their dinner. Andrea's grin turned into a sultry smirk before she reached out and grabbed the edge of Miranda's coat, pulling her close into her body. Miranda's breath hitched in her throat, and her eyes fell shut when she felt Andrea's lips caress hers briefly before the young woman stepped back, smug smirk still in place and a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Miranda blushed deeply and let out a shaky breath.

"Right. Dinner. Yes. See you then, Andrea."

Andrea chuckled, and Miranda smiled. "Thanks for coming by, Miranda."

And, as if on autopilot, she turned around and stalked towards the elevator, holding her head high but unable to hold back a wide, joyous smile.

_You're more than welcome, Andrea._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I know, this took aaaages and it's not as long and thorough as I would like, but I didn't want to keep you waiting much longer after that evil cliffhanger!  
> Unfortunately, my life has been a non-stop chaotic mess these past three weeks with moving to a new house, starting my final year at uni, and job hunting. It's been overwhelming to say the least, but I think things are starting to settle down now so hopefully I'll have time to finally get back into writing this story more consistently. Anyways, I'll stop rambling now. 
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter and that it lived up to your expectations. Please let me know what you think! I'm never sure if I'm taking the plot in the right direction, so do let me know if you hate it.
> 
> All my love,  
> C xxx
> 
> PS: Also, a big thank you to my twitter wife Sam for being an angel and being a beta for this chapter, you are amazing x


	13. New Pleasures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for such a late update. I’ve spent many hours giving everything I have to this chapter, writing and editing relentlessly. I hope it makes up for my absence x
> 
> Beware: This chapter is NSFW. Explicit content ahead! Merry Christmas ;)

So apparently Miranda Priestly's definition of grovelling included a gigantic box of chocolates, flowers (no, Andy's heart definitely hadn't fluttered at the fact Miranda remembered her favourite flower was the lily), a very pricey red wine that was older than Andy herself, and dinner at a very distinguished restaurant that served the best dishes Andy had ever tasted in her life. Not to mention, of course, the simple black Audrey Hepburn style dress and matching shoes that had been delivered to Andy's apartment two days before their date. So yes, Miranda had put a lot of thought into this, and Andy was trying hard not to swoon. Nobody had ever looked at her with such eagerness to be forgiven for something that had already been discussed and set in the past.

She didn't want to admit it, but Andy was impressed. Sitting across from Miranda, Andy couldn't help but take a moment to process it all. The candle lit dinner at a secluded table, the way Miranda's dark red dress hugged her body exquisitely, the way she had been devoting all her attention on Andy, as if there was nothing else in the world that mattered more. If Andy was being honest, she had not expected this kind of treatment from Miranda. Andy felt special, and appreciated, and she was certain that everything Miranda had said three days ago in her apartment was the truth: she really did regret the way she had behaved, and she obviously cared deeply for Andy and was not afraid to show it. Andy tried not to swoon. Especially when Miranda reached into her purse and pulled out a fine leather box.

Andy's heart froze.

"I know this might be a bit much, and I don't want you to feel like I'm buying my way through grovelling, but I saw this on a spread a week before I came to you to apologise, and I knew the moment I laid eyes on them that they could only belong to you," She said, her expression conveying her nervousness.

Miranda offered the box with a tremulous smile, and when Andy was too stunned to take it from her, she chuckled and opened it, showing Andy the contents within. Inside were two elegant earrings, so beautiful that Andy lost her breath. The two teardrops of delicate rubies were encased in gold, the precious stones small but exquisite, simmering under the candlelight, and Andy could barely utter a word.

"I'd understand if you don't like them, or if you think it's too much. Really, I could return them -"

"No!" Andy rushed to say, her voice slightly louder than it needed to be. She blushed, and Miranda smiled. "No, they're perfect, Miranda. I love them. But, you didn't have to."

"Hush, I wanted to," Miranda said, her satisfied smile and the warmth in her eyes making Andy's heart flutter. Miranda moved her chair so that they could sit next to each other. "May I?"

Andy nodded, and tilted her head so that Miranda could reach and unclasp the earrings she was wearing - two small pearls Lily had gifted her for her 20th birthday. She was unable to supress a shiver as Miranda's fingers touched her neck, and Andy closed her eyes as she let Miranda slip the new earrings in. She ran her fingertips down Andy's smooth neck, admiring the beauty of it, and sighed in pleasure.

"Perfect."

Andy blinked her eyes open and looked at Miranda's intense blue eyes, feeling her heart beat quicken. "Says you," she sassed back, a smitten smile adorning her lips.

Miranda snorted and rolled her eyes, and Andy beamed.

 

.....-.....

 

Three weeks passed filled with dates, fancy restaurant dinners, home-cooked meals (Andy was very surprised that Miranda was an excellent cook, and she definitely did not fall a little bit more in love with the older woman because of this), hand-holding, soft kisses and warm caresses. They were taking their time getting to know more of each other, feeling increasingly comfortable with the other's presence, sharing parts of themselves with one another. Miranda was convinced she had never felt happier (or laughed as much) as she did with Andrea - apart from her children, that is. Regardless, Andrea felt like a breath of fresh air in a world polluted by greed, selfishness, and intolerance. She had become used to seeing the younger woman at least twice or thrice per week, and talking on the phone every night in bed had helped Miranda's insomnia more than any medication had. There was something about hearing the young woman's voice after a long day that soothed the deepest part of Miranda's soul, and she felt her body relax into the cushions at the first utterance of her name from Andrea's lips.

So, overall, everything was going well. Better than that, actually. Life was marvellous. Even her minions at Runway had noticed her uplifted spirits, and Irv no longer had so much control over her moods, because Miranda knew that Andrea was only a text message or phone call away to cheer her up and make her feel better.

The only problem was, it was getting increasingly difficult to take her time and be patient with the other woman. Every time they would find themselves in a passionate kiss, Miranda was finding it harder and harder to pull away instead of drag Andrea to the nearest convenient spot and take her right then and there. Miranda didn't know how much more teasing she could take before she died of self-combustion.

So, when the twins mentioned that they were going to a friend's house for a sleep over ("It's Friday, mom, and Alice said her mom can drop us off tomorrow evening! Plus, you can tell _Andrayah_ to come over to keep you company." Miranda had blushed, and threatened Cassidy with a week without TV if she spoke to her like that ever again), Miranda immediately texted Andrea.

_The twins are going to a sleep over tonight, would you care to join me for dinner at the townhouse?_

Miranda had worried her lip, trying not to feel nervous about the invitation. She rarely ever felt nervous with Andrea lately, but this was different. This was -

_Nothing could keep me away, gorgeous. What time do you want me?_

Miranda's blush deepened at Andrea's choice of words, but her nervousness disappeared immediately.

_They are leaving at 7, so any time after that. I will be waiting._

Miranda did not even have to wait ten seconds before another reply came through.

_I'll be there at 7:15 xx_

Miranda took a deep breath, then straightened her shoulders. She had lots to prepare before Andrea's arrival tonight.

 

.....-.....

 

The twins had left, and now all Miranda had to distract herself with was setting the table. She had decided to cook for Andrea, since the last few times she'd done it had been so well-received by the younger woman (if the glint in her brown eyes and the way she had kissed Miranda with even more passion than usual was anything to go by). Once everything was set, Miranda looked around. She hoped it wasn't too much. She had set candles on the dinner table and all around the entrance and the kitchen, as well as her bedroom because, to Miranda, tonight felt like the night they would take that step further in their relationship. Just thinking about it made Miranda's breath hitch in her chest and a flutter of butterflies to fly wild inside her lower abdomen. God, she had never felt this way about the idea of having sex with someone before. She felt ridiculous, and flustered, and she was tempted to bang her head against the wall just to have a distraction. She had prepared everything: she had showered and moisturised, put on her favourite pair of La Perla lacy lingerie, five inch Louboutins and a cerulean knee-length dress that hugged her figure and brought out her eyes like no other. She had forgone lipstick, but her make up was discreet and simple, and she had even forgone jewellery just to make undressing easier later. She looked herself over in the foyer mirror for the millionth time, biting her lip and considering rushing upstairs and altering her outfit somehow. Just as she turned towards the stairs to do just that, the doorbell rang, and her heart immediately started beating faster as she quickly made her way to the front door.

When she saw Andrea, she lost her breath. The young woman stood before her in a dark trench coat, her hair looking softer than usual, eyes so vibrant and smile so dazzling that Miranda had to take a moment to process the vision before managing to speak coherently.

"Andrea."

Before Miranda could say anything else, Andrea strode inside, pushed the door closed, and pulled Miranda in for a toe-curling kiss. Fingers ran through her short silver hair, lips pressed sensually against hers, Andrea's supple body pressed against her front from thighs to chest. Miranda got swept up in the kiss, her mind unable to form a single thought, and suddenly Andrea had backed her up against the wall, pressing her against it and kissing her deliciously. Miranda moaned, and when Andrea's tongue teased her lips, she trembled. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Miranda knew she needed to feel more of the younger woman, and so with trembling hands she unbuckled the belt holding the trench coat together and pushed it off the woman's shoulders. She was satisfied with the _woosh_ it made as it fell to the floor, and was delighted when she caught a glimpse of what Andrea was wearing underneath: a knee-length burgundy dress, similar to the one Miranda herself had gifted her, adorned with black four inch heels that made her smooth legs seem endless. Miranda would have spent more time visually appreciating the outfit and Andrea's beauty, but the young woman's hands rose once again to run through her hair before lowering to caress her cheek, her neck, her shoulders, her waist. She was everywhere, and when she leaned in to kiss her again, Miranda felt on fire under Andrea's hands and lips.

She pulled back, gasping for breath, but then Andrea was kissing her jawline and teasing her ear in that special place she had discovered that first night on her apartment terrace. Miranda's knees buckled, and she gripped Andrea's shoulders, her eyes fluttering shut.

"I - oh!" She gasped when Andrea suckled on her pulse point, and the growl that vibrated from the young woman's chest before her teeth dug lightly into Miranda's skin had her moaning again. "I made dinner," she managed to breathily say, trying to get control of the situation. She wanted to woo Andrea, to seduce her slowly before taking things to the next level. "It's - it's your favourite. Vegetable lasagne and - ah! - garlic bread..."

Andrea pulled back to look into her eyes, and Miranda took the opportunity to catch her breath.

"As much as I love your cooking," she smirked, her eyes roaming over Miranda's face, taking in her flushed state, the lust in her eyes. "There's something else I'd much rather eat right now."

Miranda felt a shock of arousal shoot through her, and she gave in. She pulled Andrea against her more firmly, buried her fingers in long brown hair, and dove in for another kiss. Miranda could not help herself: she bit Andrea's plush lower lip, pulling on it and humming at the delicious groan she got in response. Andrea's hands tightened around her hips.

"Where’s your bedroom?"

Miranda smirked against their kiss before pulling away. The heat in Andrea's gaze was enough to make her tremble, and she grabbed the younger woman's hand, pulling her up the two flights of stairs. She could feel the young woman's gaze on her, and made sure to put extra sway to her hips, giving her sultry gazes over her shoulder every once in a while and catching brown eyes fixated on her ass more than once. Miranda had never felt this confident or this powerful in her body.

When she opened the door to her bedroom, Andrea gasped softly at the vision: lit candles offered a warm glow around the room, the soft blue and beige tones bringing out the white of the furniture. But most impressive was the California King sized-bed, neatly made with covers that looked as soft as silk. Not giving Andrea the chance to look around more, Miranda pressed her up against the closed door and kissed her fiercely, pressing her thigh between her legs and eliciting a moan from her that made Miranda feel a pool of desire between her legs. She couldn't wait any longer. She needed to see all of her Andrea. She reached down and grasped the hem of her dress before slowly pulling it upwards, past Andrea's toned thighs, up her abdomen and chest. Miranda pulled back from the searing kiss, and Andrea smiled before raising her arms so that Miranda could finish taking off the dress.

She was sure that, in all the years working in fashion and searching for beautiful things, Miranda had never seen anything as breath-taking as Andrea. She didn't know where to look first, so her eyes drifted everywhere, taking it all in: her elegant collarbones, her bare chest, her lovely breasts on display for her eyes and mouth to feast on, the hardening nipples begging for her touch, the dip of her waist, the soft stomach, the curves of her hips, the lacy red underwear that was the sexiest Miranda had ever laid eyes on, the muscular thighs, the curvy calves.

"Breathe, Miranda."

Only then did Miranda realise she hadn’t been able to draw breath all this time her eyes explored Andrea's beauty, and she took a shaky, gasping breath.

"Andrea..." Her voice sounded deep and husky to her own ears, and before she could gaze at her more, the young woman pulled her in for another kiss, and Miranda melted. Her hands caressed everywhere, her fingertips leaving trails of goose bumps, Andrea's sighs and moans music to her ears. She didn't even realise when Andrea reached for the hem of her dress to do the same Miranda had done, and on autopilot she reached for the side zipper and undid it before the young woman pulled the dress off completely.

She held her breath, observing Andrea's expression as brown eyes took their fill. Miranda knew she was not young, and her body had been aging rapidly these last few years. Stephen himself had said her body had never properly recovered after the birth of her daughters. Despite her best efforts, there was a slight roundness to her lower abdomen, and she had stretch marks on her hips and breasts. The latter had also suffered greatly due to gravity, and they were no longer as perky and round as they used to be. Her thighs had taken up some extra weight too, and not to mention the new wrinkles on her face -

But then Andrea's eyes rose to meet hers directly, and they had darkened significantly, their heated gaze making Miranda's breath catch in her throat. Before she knew it, the young woman had kicked off her heels and had pushed off the door. She pressed her young body against Miranda's own, which made both of them moan at the feeling of their skin finally touching, and she guided the silver-haired woman backwards towards the bed as her lips reached Miranda's ear.

"I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you," she whispered, and Miranda's eyes fluttered shut in both relief at the words and arousal at the deep, rough voice filled with lust. "You're so fucking beautiful, Miranda. I can't wait to make you mine."

And then she suckled on that special spot behind her ear again, and Miranda's knees buckled just in time for her to fall onto the bed, Andrea following in her wake. And, _God_ , it felt beyond amazing to have the younger woman above her as they both shuffled up the bed. Miranda had never felt like this when any of her previous partners had been above her. But this - this felt _right_. This is how it was supposed to feel.

Miranda felt her heels fall from her feet just as Andrea planted kisses down her neck and across her collarbones, making Miranda gasp at the heated sensation. When they reached the pillows, Andrea lifted herself up on her elbows and gazed at Miranda through hooded eyes.

"I know what you were thinking when I undressed you," she murmured softly, and suddenly her eyes were gentle, and her fingers trailed a path over Miranda's face - caressing her eyebrow, her cheek, her nose, her lips. "But I hope you realise that I have never seen anyone more beautiful than you," Andrea's fingers lowered to her chest and undid the front clasp of her bra, parting it, and Miranda lifted herself slightly so Andrea could pull it away from her and drop it down the side of the bed. "Miranda," she murmured, and leaned down to gently kiss her lips. "Let me take care of you."

Miranda hummed, reaching up to run her fingers over Andrea's toned back, loving the sensation of the muscles flexing under her fingertips. Andrea placed kisses down her jaw, taking her time to worship all the places she had already familiarised herself with before: all the places that made Miranda tremble with need. Except now, instead of stopping like all the previous times, she continued downwards, tracing her tongue over Miranda's collarbone, kissing her way down her chest until she reached Miranda's breast. The Editor could feel her nipples harden the closer Andrea's warm lips got to them, and when Andrea took her time kissing the side and underneath her breast, Miranda shivered, closing her eyes in preparation for the pleasure to come.

When Andrea finally brought her lips to Miranda's nipple, she couldn't help but moan. The warmth and the wetness of Andrea's mouth as she took it in was like nothing Miranda could have imagined, and she was helpless to do anything but burry her fingers in brown locks and moan. When Andrea sucked, Miranda's chest rose to offer more of herself, and when she felt teeth pull teasingly on her already sensitive breast, she shivered. Shocks of pleasure were shooting down to her navel, and Miranda could not believe how wet she felt already. When Andrea moved to the other breast, she whimpered, and Andrea lifted her hand to cover and play with the abandoned breast. The sensation made Miranda moan loudly, and Andrea hummed against her nipple as she suckled on it, the vibrations making Miranda grip Andrea's hair tighter still.

After torturous, wonderful moments, Andrea moved lower, kissing her abdomen, licking around her belly-button, and Miranda's laboured breathing became even faster. Was she going to - ?

Fingers started pulling down her underwear, and Miranda eagerly lifted her hips. She looked down just in time to watch Andrea sliding the ruined garment off, her dark brown eyes focused on Miranda's centre. Miranda watched as Andrea licked her lips, and she looked like a lioness ready to devour her prey. Miranda visibly trembled, and Andrea's scortching gaze lifted and looked right into Miranda's.

"Miranda," she whispered, and encouraged her to part her legs, lowering herself between them. When she kissed the inside of her thigh, Miranda's breath caught, and Andrea smirked, trailing kisses down her thigh until she was nearly where Miranda needed her most. "You smell divine."

Before Miranda could formulate a response, she felt Andrea's slick tongue swipe from her entrance to her clit, and Miranda threw her head back and whined so loudly she barely recognised herself. Nobody had ever made her sound like this before. Panting, she forced herself to open her eyes and look down at Andrea, and the sight of her between her legs was enough to make her brain short-circuit.

Andrea playfully nosed the damp curls and looked up at Miranda, her eyes shinning with desire and mischief. She placed feather-light kisses on Miranda's lips, and the older woman was beginning to grow impatient. She needed to feel the pleasure of Andrea's tongue again.

"Andrea," she groaned, and reached down to grip the younger woman's hair. " _Please_."

Andrea smirked, and then dove in. She swiped her tongue through the delicious wetness before her, and Miranda lost all coherent thought. Her eyes shut, and she fell into a depth of sensation she had never before experienced. The agile tongue between her legs teased her, tasted her, drank her in, and when Andrea hummed against her with pure sexual delight, Miranda whimpered, feeling her core clench in need, becoming wetter than she could ever remember being. Andrea's tongue circled her clit, and Miranda heard what sounded like a desperate whine fill the room before she realised it was coming from her. There was no way she could last - not when Andrea flicked her talented tongue so rapidly over her clit. But then Andrea went lower still, and teased her opening with her tongue before plunging in.

Miranda screamed.

Her hips lifted off the bed, forcing herself onto the woman's mouth as her body trembled and writhed. Andrea wrapped her arms around her thighs, placing her hands over her hipbones and pressing Miranda down into the mattress. She growled against Miranda's dripping sex, pressing her tongue as deep inside the woman as she could, and Miranda choked out a sinful moan. And then, _Oh God_ , Andrea's fingers moved down and rubbed her clit in vicious circles -

"Oh, _fuck. Yes!_ Inside - oh, God! - inside me, _please!”_

Andrea groaned, licked her way back up to give thorough attention to Miranda's clit before quickly changing the position of her arm so she could thrust two fingers inside Miranda, the older woman's wetness letting her fingers plunge as deep as they could go in one smooth thrust. Just then, brown eyes looked up at Miranda just as her body went rigid, every muscle tensed and her back arched off the bed, a vein throbbing in her neck as she threw her head back in a silent, chocked wail of ecstasy. Her thighs trembled uncontrollably on either side of Andrea’s head, her clit throbbing against Andrea's burning tongue, her fingers fisting brown locks in a tight grip, pressing Andrea against her, wanting more, more, _more_.

Andrea buried a third finger inside her, relentlessly pistoning her fingers in and out, and wrapped her lips around her clit before thrashing it with her tongue. Miranda screamed, thighs locking around Andrea's head, and came again. She felt the waves of pleasure tear through her body, a searing, hot sensation that made her tremble and lose her breath. She'd never felt like this before.

Andrea's ministration slowed, her tongue soothingly licking up her essence and her fingers giving her a tender massage, making Miranda's hips buck in post-orgasmic spams. Miranda's body fell limply onto the mattress, feeling heavy and weak; she tried to calm her panting breathing and her racing heart, her mind a blissful blankness. She felt Andrea crawl up her body, dropping loving kisses over random part of Miranda's flushed skin. She placed a delicate kiss upon Miranda's lips and, with fingers still slightly sticky, gently moved strands of silver hair away from Miranda's damp forehead.

Miranda sighed, feeling all the tension leave her body as unconsciousness slowly crept in on her. "Andrea..." She murmured, and let herself drift in this blissful state.

 

.....-.....

 

When her eyes blinked open, the first thing her mind processed was the weight atop her chest and thigh. The second thing was that this weight belonged to a deliciously naked Andrea, who rested on Miranda's chest, her leg flung over Miranda's thigh, while her fingers caressed nonsensical patterns over Miranda’s abdomen, the touch soothing and entrancing. Miranda took a deep breath, loving the unique smell of Andrea, and of their earlier activities. Images from before flashed through Miranda's mind. She felt arousal flood through her, and bit her lip.

As if she had read her thoughts, Andrea sighed and moved against her.

"Well, hello there, beautiful," she purred against Miranda's chest, and the older woman wasn't able to hide a smile.

"Hello, Sunrise," she answered, her voice hoarse and deep. Miranda blushed, remembering just how... vocal she had been. Thank God she had waited for the girls to be out of the house before taking Andrea to bed for the first time.

Andrea lifted her head to gaze at Miranda, beaming at the nickname. Miranda felt her heart tighten at the vision Andrea made: hair a tousled mess, almond eyes shinning with warmth and affection, her dazzling smile nearly blinding. Miranda had never experienced such a strong desire to worship and love anyone as much as she wanted to do with Andrea - "Oh!" Miranda exclaimed, her face contorting into a regretful frown. "I'm so sorry! I can't believe I fell asleep after - as if I were a _man_! I can't believe I didn't - "

"Shh," Andrea said, and held her fingers softly to Miranda's lips to keep her from talking. Miranda could smell herself on the young woman's fingers, and she throbbed with desire. "It's alright. You were only out for a few minutes, and it seemed like you needed it anyways. Wore you out, huh?" Andrea said with a smug expression, smirking so sexily that Miranda lunged forward and pulled her in for an urgent kiss.

She didn't leave Andrea time to recover. She rolled on top of the younger woman, pressing her thigh between her legs. Andrea gasped, all smugness disappearing as she clung to Miranda's lower back. She kissed the woman beneath her with everything she had and more, and then did plenty of exploring of her own. The soft skin of Andrea's neck was impossible not to kiss and lick and suck, and Miranda realised she loved seeing Andrea's skin darken under her ministrations until there was a mark of Miranda's passion. She wanted to cover Andrea all over with worshipping kisses. How had this woman managed to change her life so drastically? How was Miranda so fortunate as to have stumbled into this fascinating, loving, passionate young woman, who made Miranda feel adored and drunk with pleasure? Andrea had done things to her that Miranda had never even dreamed were possible, and she was desperate for more.

She paid careful attention to Andrea's perfect breasts. They were heavy in Miranda's hands and soft under her lips, and when her ministrations became rougher, Andrea moaned Miranda's name so wantonly that the older woman had to stop herself from fucking Andrea to oblivion right then. As it was, Andrea's body trembled, and her breathing was as laboured as Miranda's had been earlier.

" _Please_ , Miranda... I can't wait anymore. I loved fucking you so much, I'm so ready -"

And something animalistic came forth inside Miranda that had her ripping Andrea's underwear from her body and crawling in between her legs, placing her thighs over her shoulders. Miranda barely took the time to even look at what she had uncovered. She wanted - _needed_ to taste her Andrea -

"Oh, God, _yes! Miranda!_ "

She didn't know what she had been expecting, but Andrea's taste was like nothing she could have imagined. It was sweet, and warm, and _Andrea_ \- Miranda drank her in, moaning in pleasure as Andrea's fingers dug into her hair. Looking up, she watched Andrea writhe on the bed, and rapidly flicked her tongue over Andrea's clit the same way she had done to Miranda. Andrea wailed, and yet it wasn't enough. Using to fingers, she slowly thrust them into Andrea, moaning at the sensation of Andrea's warm, wet walls taking her fingers deep within her. Andrea called out her name again, and Miranda knew by the squeezing of the tight walls around her fingers that the younger woman was close. She wrapped her lips around Andrea's clit and sucked before curling the fingers inside the younger woman until she pressed against a spot that made Andrea come undone. Miranda watched, entranced, as the orgasm tore through Andrea, ripping a delicious scream from her lips and making her neck arch back in ecstasy.

Miranda continued her thorough ministrations, letting Andrea ride through her orgasm, until the young woman slumped back, her chest rising and falling with every panting breath. Miranda crawled up the delectable body before her, taking time to kiss and leave love bites wherever her heart fancied. When she reached Andrea's mouth, they kissed, making Andrea hum in delight. Miranda smiled and pulled back slightly to look into shinning brown orbs.

"You, my darling, are more special than words could ever describe," Miranda said, trying to capture this moment in her head, so that she could forever remember Andrea like this - hair splayed over Miranda's pillows, eyes bright with velvet fire, lips swollen from their kisses, skin flushed from the pleasure Miranda had given her.

"Wow, coming from an Editor in Chief who is an expert with words, that's quite a feat. And compliment," Andrea teased, grinning happily.

 

Miranda chuckled, and captured Andrea's lips once more before pressing against the younger woman's body wantonly, her desire coming back full force. Andrea chuckled darkly, and Miranda shivered at the sound.

"I've created a monster, haven't I?" Andrea murmured, leaning down to kiss Miranda's neck while her fingers began playing with rosy nipples.

"Oh, yes, Andrea," Miranda moaned, eyes dropping shut. "I'm simply _insatiable_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it has taken me forever to update. The truth is that balancing my last year of university, plus a part-time job, plus lots of extra-curricular activities, I have simply not had the time to write (even though I really, really wanted to - I can't describe how good it feels to finally be able to work on this story again).  
> Anyways, as an apology I decided to give you this very juicy chapter that I hope you enjoyed! I feel like this has been long overdue - especially for Miranda ;)  
> And to each one of you who takes the time to comment: this chapter is dedicated to you. You're amazing, and you keep me going. Let me know what you thought of this! Do you want some more? ;) 
> 
> Thank you for bearing with me and with this story. I hope you all have very happy Holidays. Surround yourselves with strength, courage, and love, as much as you possibly can.  
> I love you all and I'm sending positive, good energy your way <3


	14. Night-time Meals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short fluffy chapter ahead :)

At some point during the night, Miranda blinked her eyes open, slowly regaining consciousness. Her room was dark except for a strip of soft moonlight landing across her bed. The sheets felt soft and warm against her naked skin, and her body felt relaxed and deliciously sated - except for a delicious ache in certain areas she hadn't used in a long time, which made her smirk. There was a soft, steady breathing coming from her left, and Miranda turned on her side to admire the beautiful vision before her. Andrea was lying on her back, her naked shoulders peeking from underneath the sheet, chest rising with each deep breath, her face turned toward Miranda, framed by dishevelled brown hair spread wildly over the pillow. Miranda’s gaze softened, and she was unable to suppress as smitten smile. Andrea looked so peaceful in slumber, so unguarded and angelic. The Editor felt her heart flutter in her chest, and she wanted to roll her eyes at her own sickeningly romantic thoughts. Was this what she had become after only one night of good sex? Although, what she had with Andrea went far beyond just sex. Maybe she felt this way - smitten, happy, romantic, contemplative - after finally finding someone who felt _right_ for her.

Suddenly, her stomach growled embarrassingly loudly, interrupting her thoughts and bringing her back to the present. So, it was hunger that had woken her up? Considering how Andrea had denied them dinner the evening prior, and how little Miranda had eaten for lunch earlier in the day - and, of course, considering the unbelievable amount of energy they had spent with such entertaining and pleasurable activities for God knows how many hours - Miranda felt absolutely famished. And she was sure Andrea needed to eat, too. They both needed to recover some strength, especially if they were to continue exploring each other. Miranda felt a flutter of arousal deep in her abdomen just thinking about it.

Gently, she caressed Andrea's soft cheek until brown eyes fluttered open.

"Andrea," she purred quietly, smiling at how adorable the younger woman looked as she groggily returned from the land of dreams. "Andrea, darling, we have to eat something."

Andrea frowned and rolled over into Miranda's front, burying her face in her chest before slurring something that sounded like _"but you're my favourite meal"_.

Miranda snorted and rolled her eyes before shaking Andrea's shoulder. "Stop sweet-talking, silly girl. We really do have to eat."

Andrea groaned in protest, but then sighed and rolled onto her back once more. "Ugh, fine. But after we're coming back to bed as soon as we're done. Promise?" She pouted, and Miranda tried to keep her expression from showing just how adorable she found the younger woman in that moment.

"Promise."

Miranda got out of bed swiftly and walked across her room to retrieve two soft silk robes from her closet. When she turned back around, Andrea was laying on her side propped up on her elbow, dark eyes hungrily roaming over Miranda's naked figure. And, despite everything that had happened between them, Miranda couldn't help the blush that bloomed up her neck onto her cheeks, and she pulled the blue robe on before tying it closed across her abdomen. She approached the bed, feeling unusually shy, and handed the green robe to Andrea, who was gazing at her with observant, keen eyes. Miranda felt incredibly vulnerable in that moment, as if Andrea could see into the very depth of her being, and despite how much the younger woman already knew and had seen for herself, Miranda turned away, attempting to hide. She walked to the vanity at the corner of the room and ran a brush through her hair, taming the messy silver locks until her hair looked more like her signature style, despite looking more untamed and wilder than usual. She took a deep breath, trying to gain some control over her composure before she turned to face Andrea once again. The brunette was standing at the foot of the bed wearing Miranda's green robe as if it had been tailored for her figure, and her gaze regarded Miranda steadily.

"Shall we eat?" Miranda asked in a quiet voice before moving towards the door. Andrea stepped in her path, forcing Miranda to stop in her tracks, and slowly reached up to cup Miranda's jaw. Brown almond eyes looked deeply into ocean blue, and Miranda nearly lost her breath. Andrea's eyes were filled with something intense and warm that shook Miranda to the core of her being. Then, Andrea drew closer, until her dark lashes fluttered close, and Miranda's eyes shut in response mere seconds before she felt Andrea's tender kiss on her lips. It was delicate, soft, soothing, and Miranda forgot any unease she'd felt. She felt the tension seep out of her body, her shoulders dropping, her face relaxing, and the tightness she had felt in her stomach evaporated.

When Andrea pulled back, Miranda looked at her in a daze as Andrea smiled widely and sweetly, her almond orbs shinning with affection. Miranda felt the corner of her eyes crinkle in response, and tried to ignore the fluttering in her stomach. Then Andrea stepped back and took her hand.

"Come on," she said, grinning, before tugging Miranda towards the door. "I think I remember you saying something about lasagne and garlic bread?"

Miranda chuckled and rolled her eyes before she let herself be dragged from the bedroom and down to the kitchen.

......-.....

Miranda had to admit that this had not been what she'd envisioned for the romantic dinner she had made. Sitting at the kitchen island with Andrea in just their robes, hair still dishevelled, make up wiped off, they practically inhaling their food. And yet, Miranda felt so content, so relaxed, she wouldn't change a single thing. They ate in comfortable silence, savouring the delicious meal, glancing at each other and smiling like lovesick teenagers. Miranda never wanted to forget this night. She knew that for the rest of her days Miranda would reflect on her past with 'Before Andrea' and 'After Andrea' as a life-changing marker in her life.

They finished their food, and Miranda leaned her elbow on the kitchen island to prop her chin up on her hand, her soft gaze on the magnificent woman sitting before her.

"Careful, honey," Andrea said, grinning. "If you look at me like that in public, the whole Ice Queen persona will go up in smoke.

Miranda chuckled, taking pleasure in the fact that nobody else - not even her previous partners - had been comfortable enough around her to speak to her in such a teasing way.

"Hmm," she hummed, masking her features into the cold, stern, 'Dragon Lady' expression she always wore at Runway. She placed her razor-sharp focus on Andrea, and by the mischievous twinkle in almond eyes, she was enjoying Miranda's little act of toughness. For good measure, Miranda pursed her lips, tapping her lower lip with her finger, and raised her eyebrow. She took pride in how Andrea blushed and licked her lips. "Indeed, it would be such a pity after all the hard work I put into it. I suppose you could find a way to compensate me for it."

She had not even finished the sentence before Andrea had leapt from her seat, grabbed Miranda's hand, and marched her back into the bedroom.

 

.....-.....

 

The next time she drifted back into wakefulness, Miranda blinked slowly and stretched her limbs deliciously, humming at the soft pull of muscles. She sighed contentedly before melting back into the mattress, enjoying the feeling of restfulness and a deep-sated contentedness that was engraved in her chest after the previous night. Andrea had taken her to new places, explored every curve and dip of Miranda's body, had made Miranda feel an ecstasy and a satisfaction never before fulfilled. Turning to her side, Miranda's eyes found Andrea's - the young woman watched her with a soft, knowing smile curving her lips.

"Don't look so smug," Miranda chastised, although the corners of her lips twitched, and her blue eyes reflected an ocean of joy.

"Can't help it," Andrea said, scooting closer until she could place a leg over Miranda's. "Last night was amazing."

Miranda's lips turned into a smile, warm and affectionate. "Yes," she hummed in agreement, and leaned closer. "It was."

They kissed softly, lazily, and Miranda hummed in delight. Before either of them could take it any further, however, Andrea pulled back with a smirk.

"So, what would your highness like for lunch?"

Miranda blinked, then frowned. "Lunch? Don't you mean breakfast?"

Andrea's smug look returned, and she visibly forced herself to keep from laughing. "Yes, lunch. It's nearly noon, Miranda."

Miranda's eyes widened. "What?" She twisted around under the covers to look at her small alarm clock on her nightstand, and gasped. "Oh, Jesus," she said in utter disbelief. "I can't remember the last time I was able to sleep past 8 am!"

Andrea's melodious laughter sounded from behind Miranda, and the editor turned around to glare at her, which - to her disappointment - only added to Andrea's amusement. With a great deal of sass, Andrea replied, "I guess the secret to a good long sleep is a good - "

"Fuck?"

"I was going to say 'work out', but yours is far more accurate."

Miranda snorted and rolled her eyes before rolling out of bed and pulling on her robe. She began to move around the room, gathering her outfit for the day - lingerie, stockings, a sky blue dress that flared around her knees, her favourite Prada heels, and jewellery. When she was finally satisfied, she looked up and caught Andrea observing her from the bed, proud in her nude state and expression soft.

"Well?" Miranda asked. "Are you going to get ready, or did you want to remain in bed all day?"

Andrea chuckled. "An entire day spent in bed with you? I wouldn't be opposed to that idea."

Miranda snorted. "I'm far too busy a woman for that, Andrea. Perhaps when I retire."

Miranda froze, not realising the slip of her tongue. It was far too soon to be speaking about a future - a very distant future at that, because Miranda knew she would only retire when she was physically or mentally unable to keep working. Besides, who was to say Andrea would stick around for that long? Miranda was far older than her, and the age difference would be impossible to ignore if Miranda ended up bed ridden and crippled while Andrea was still young and active. Who could blame her for seeking a better life with someone better suited for her?

Before her thoughts could escalate further into an anxious mess, Miranda felt two toned arms surround her middle and pull her firmly against Andrea's very warm (and very naked) body.

"Well, whenever you decide to indulge with me in a day of being lazy in bed, I'll be more than happy to do so," she said, her tone light, but her eyes showing a depth of understanding that made Miranda know that her previous thoughts had been written all over her face.

As if to put the matter to rest, Andrea leaned in for a long, deep kiss that made Miranda forget all about age differences and future plans. She needed to remember to simply enjoy the present and take things one day at a time. If she and Andrea were meant to last, then they would. It was useless to worry about such a distant future when there was so much to enjoy now. Pulling back, Andrea smiled so brightly that Miranda had to force herself not to swoon at the beauty of her.

"Now, I'm going to go make coffee while you shower. How does scrambled egg with avocado and tomatoes sound?"

Miranda smiled. "Delicious."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, Happy (belated) Valentine's Day! I'm sorry I haven't been able to update this story sooner, but being back at uni for another semester and my part-time job have made my free time practically non-existent. However, I did manage to write this little fluffy chapter that I hope you enjoyed. It may not be much, and sorry for any mistakes, but it's the best I can do at the moment. Hopefully I can update soon and give you the good, juicy chapters you lovely readers deserve.
> 
> I wanted to say thank you to all of you who have commented on this story. I can't begin to describe how important it is for writers to read what people think of their stories - even the shortest comment still has a great impact! So thank you for all the patience, love and support you've given me, you are my muse and my motivation to keep going.
> 
> Much love x


	15. New Explorations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very NSFW. Hope you enjoy! ;)

Miranda felt as if she were floating on a cloud. Everything about the last three weeks had been heavenly. She and Andrea spoke every day, and saw each other as often (and discreetly) as possible. Miranda just couldn't help herself, the younger woman was intoxicating. She understood Miranda better than probably anyone else ever had. Each time they were together, Miranda felt at peace, safe - something she had never felt in any past relationships. Whenever she was in a foul mood, or stressed about the incompetence plaguing her magazine, or worried about the twins, all she had to do was call or text Andrea, and the woman had a magical way of putting her at ease. It was baffling. And kind of scary, truth be told. It terrified Miranda that so much depended on another person. She had always been self-sufficient, and painfully independent, and she had always been the type of person to stay very, very far away from emotional intimacy of any kind. Except with the twins, of course.

So it was a pretty big adjustment, this new life she'd found. She did her best to live up to what Andrea deserved in a partner. She spoke to Andrea as honestly and openly as possible, she let her worries and insecurities be slowly washed away, she even did something she had never done before and began adjusting her work life to fit around her personal life. Every day, she worked hard to be worthy of Andrea, and the younger woman rewarded her with beaming smiles and loving words and soft caresses.

Miranda often had to shake herself, or pinch herself, because her mind had trouble believing any of this was real. Here she was, a middle-aged, twice divorced, single mother who was only now experiencing her sexual awakening. How ironic. She'd devoted her entire life to creating art from the female form, and only now did Miranda realise just how wonderful the female body was without a single strip of couture covering the delightful skin underneath. How could she ever believe that stick-thin, plain models were the epitome of beauty standards when feminine curves were so delightful? Now, she'd kill just to worship Andrea's curves and stomach and breasts. How had Miranda been so often surrounded by near-naked women, and never been affected by any of them? Perhaps it was just Andrea who did this to her. Perhaps Miranda really wasn't interested in anyone else.

Regardless of all the unanswered questions, there is one thing that she is absolutely certain about: Andrea is good. Andrea should be loved, and protected, and kept, no matter what. Miranda would give away every single precious item in her closet, she would resign Runway, she would never go anywhere near a fashion show again, if it meant that Andrea would stay by her side. Luckily for her, Andrea adamantly supported Miranda in her career, unlike Miranda's ex-husbands. Her interest in Miranda's work was so honest, her questions and her insights so thoughtful, that Miranda fell a little more in love with her each time Andrea listened to another of Miranda's work-related rants, brown eyes attentive as she soaked up each and every word. It was an incredible aphrodisiac.

Just eight days ago, Miranda had gone to Andrea's apartment late in the evening, only to find the young woman had been pouring over past Runway issues. She had been reading each and every one of them since Miranda's first issue as Editor in Chief, and had been taken thorough notes on the margins and pages. It was enough to ignite such a carnal passion in Miranda that she hadn't thought twice before dragging the younger woman to the bedroom and thoroughly showing her appreciation with her mouth, tongue, and fingers until Andrea was screaming her name.

So, yes, Andrea was good for her. More than good for her, in fact. Which is why Miranda had vowed to do everything in her power to keep her by her side. She would not let this one get away.

As the elevator ascended, Miranda fidgeted nervously, her fingers twirling the ribbon encasing the massive flower bouquet she had bought especially for Andrea. They hadn't seen each other since the last time Miranda came over a week ago, and anticipation curled at the pit of her stomach. After receiving a message from inviting her to a late dinner at her apartment, Miranda had spent a good hour and a half getting ready. Tonight, Miranda was putting herself out there more than usual: she had decided to be bold, but her earlier confidence was waning slightly the closer she got to Andrea. She felt nervous butterflies fluttering in her abdomen as she made her way down the hallway towards Andrea's door.

She knocked only twice before the door was flung open, and Miranda lost her breath. Andrea stood before her in a fitted cerulean blouse so sheer that Miranda could easily see the lacy bodice underneath it. The black skirt hugged her figure perfectly, and her shapely legs were beautifully defined by a pair of 4-inch heels.

"Hey there, gorgeous," Andrea said, and Miranda's eyes snapped up to her face, the brilliant smile filling Miranda with warmth. My, it had only been eight days, and yet Miranda felt like it had been far too long since she was at the receiving end of Andrea's lovely smile. Unacceptable.

Miranda didn't respond. Instead, she stepped forward, snaking her free arm around Andrea's waist and pulling the younger woman flush against her. She didn't even process Andrea's surprised little noise before leaning forward and capturing rosy lips with her own. Andrea melted against her, kissing her back before reaching up to cup Miranda's jaw affectionately. Humming, she pulled back, dark eyes twinkling with delight.

"Missed me?" she asked with a teasing grin.

Miranda nearly rolled her eyes, but instead gave the young woman another slow once-over. "Hmm," she hummed in response. "Perhaps."

Andrea chuckled before pulling away and taking Miranda by the hand.

"Are those for me?"

Miranda shook herself before looking at the flowers in her hand. "Oh, yes, of course," she muttered, trying not to let herself feel nervous as she handed over the bouquet. She had chosen this with particular care. Not many people knew that Miranda had a deep love for flowers. Every single one had its meaning and purpose, every petal chosen carefully to create the perfect combination of colours and scents. This particular bouquet had taken a considerable amount of time to put together, but it was worth it, because Andrea was looking at it with wonder as she delighted in its beauty. When she brought it close to smell the flowers, Miranda felt a sense of pride and contentment, and she hoped Andrea understood.

"These are beautiful, Miranda. I love them, thank you."

She leaned forward again, and kissed Miranda lightly before moving away in search for a vase that would do the bouquet justice. While Andrea got the flowers ready, Miranda took off her coat and headed towards the kitchen. There was a pot slow-cooking on the stove, and Miranda took a deep breath of the mouth-watering smell. Whatever they were having for dinner, it was bound to be delicious.

She heard a gasp from the doorway behind her, and turned to find Andrea's eyes roaming up and down her figure. Miranda couldn't hold back a smirk. She had chosen this dress with Andrea in mind. It was black and clung to her curves perfectly, but the best part was the bodice. It was tight like a corset, but soft to the touch. The off-the-shoulder neckline showed off her collar bones - a feature she knew Andrea adored. And, best of all, the dress was backless, showing off the top half of her toned back, and dipping into a provocative vee cut at the dip of her spine.

"Jesus, Miranda."

Miranda's smirk grew at just how breathless Andrea sounded, and she knew that tonight would be good. She could hardly wait.

 

.....-.....

 

Dinner was spectacular. Andrea had made risotto with steamed vegetables and home-backed bread that was still warm and crisp. The candles provided a perfect warm light that made both women glow under the dancing flames that caressed their skin and shone in their eyes. The fairy lights around them made Miranda feel like she was in a real-life photo shoot, and the soft music soothed her. It was a lovely night, the sky clear enough that some stars were visible, and the air was warm and inviting. The sounds of the city beyond the terrace were oddly distant, and Miranda could not remember a lovelier set-up for a date in her life. Andrea had clearly put so much effort into this that Miranda was having trouble coming up with any clues as to what she had done to deserve this.

They talked about many things, many of which had been left unsaid until they both felt comfortable enough to open up fully to each other. It seemed tonight the mood was right, and they both felt secure enough in their relationship that they didn't want to hold anything back.

Miranda wanted to know more about Andrea's life before New York, and the woman told her all about her mid-western family. She spoke about her nieces and nephews, how her dad used to read her bed-time stories every night until the age of eleven, how her mom used to take her horse-back riding every weekend. They spoke of Andrea's dreams of becoming a journalist, and how she discovered her love for psychology just before going to college. They talked about Andrea's coming out, and how her family reacted, how her mom had cried, and how she didn't see her nieces and nephews as much anymore. Miranda tried to push the feelings of indignation and outrage to the back of her mind, and simply held Andrea's hand comfortingly.

They discussed Miranda's life, too. She talked about her ex-husbands, about falling in love with Greg. She tried her best to describe how she felt the moment she found out she was pregnant with twins, and tried (but failed) to do justice to the feeling of holding her two babies for the first time. She talked about how much her daughters have taught her, and how much she hopes she's a good mother to them.

Andrea reached for her hand, entwining their fingers, her expression honest and warm.

"You're an incredible mother, Miranda. I can see how much you love your daughters every time you talk about them, and I fall more for you every time. They're so lucky to have you. And so am I."

Miranda's heart leapt to her throat, and her eyes stung with emotion. She couldn't think of what to say to that, but Andrea seemed to understand, because she smiled sweetly before turning her attention back to her meal.

After dinner had been cleared away, they sat together in front of the telescope, sharing one of the lounge chairs, their thighs touching.

"You see that one that looks kind of like a V? That's Pisces." Andrea said as Miranda looked through the telescope. She felt breathless with the beauty of the universe. She was entranced by the stars in Andrea's eyes, the enthusiasm in her voice. "Oh! And there's Pegasus! You see him? He's quite a tricky one to spot, he's kind of upside down if you connect that square with those stars there, and there. See him?" Miranda nodded, mesmerised. "Did you know in Greek mythology, Pegasus was born from the blood of Medusa mixed with ocean water? He's basically her child."

Miranda leaned away from the telescope to gaze at Andrea. "Really? I didn't know that."

Andrea nodded vigorously, and she leaned forward. "Yeah, Medusa was always my favourite. She was so misunderstood, you know? It wasn't her fault that men abused and assaulted her for her beauty. Some academics claim that Athena cursed Medusa with ugliness and deadly eyes in order to protect her, so that men wouldn't hurt her anymore."

Miranda tilted her head, and regarded Andrea closely. "So you're saying that Medusa's head full of snakes and ability to turn men into stone was actually Athena's way of keeping her safe? How romantic."

Andrea beamed. "Yep! It's not the most common interpretation of the story, but it's the one I like most."

Miranda nodded. "I can see why." And then, perhaps because of the wine, or Andrea's endearing passion about constellations and mythology, or maybe simply because Miranda felt comfortable around her, she blurted: "You're kind of like my Athena."

Andrea blinked, clearly surprised, and Miranda blushed. She scrambled to explain herself.

"What I mean is that, I feel like you protect me. Many men have hurt me in the past, but I forget about all of that when I'm with you, because you make me feel safe and understood." Andrea's eyes melted with warmth, and Miranda reigned in the rampant romanticism before things got more emotional. "Plus, I've been told I can freeze men with my icy glares."

Andrea snorted, and Miranda felt her shoulders lose some of the tension from the intensity of the moment.

"That makes sense, actually," Andrea said, and leaned forward to capture Miranda's lips in a tender kiss. It was early enough in their relationship that Miranda was not yet used to the sensation of Andrea's lips, and she revelled in it. Andrea pulled back slightly, murmuring against their kiss, "I like the idea of being your Athena."

Miranda smiled against her lips, and ran her fingers through long brown locks, pulling Andrea closer for a deeper kiss. Andrea's tongue swiped against her lower lip before teasing inside, and the taste of wine was just as addictive as the feeling of Andrea's breaths against her cheek.

"Mm," Miranda hummed, tracing kisses down Andrea's jaw and neck. "Bedroom."

Before she knew it, Andrea was standing up and dragging her across the terrace and into the apartment, down the hallway and into the bedroom. Without speaking a word, Andrea began to unbutton her blouse, and Miranda was helpless to do anything but watch. As more skin was revealed, Miranda felt her mouth go dry. The blouse was discarded and dropped on the floor, the skirt zipper slowly undone before the material fell to pool around Andrea's high-heeled feet. Miranda's eyes glazed over as she took it all in. The lacy bodice Andrea wore fitted her perfectly, her breasts encased beautifully. A pair of matching underwear hid very little from Miranda's eyes, and Miranda could not help but repeatedly drag them up and down Andrea's breath-taking body. She kicked her heels off before stepping towards Miranda, and the older woman felt her heart speed up at her proximity.

"I have a surprise for you," Andrea purred, and then lowered her head to drop light, teasing kisses down Miranda's neck. Her eyes fluttered closed at the sensation, and her head lolled to the side to give the young woman more access. "I have a feeling you'll love it." A caress of tongue sent a shiver down Miranda's body. "But first, I'm going to take my time undressing you, because you have been torturing me all night with this dress." A scrape of teeth against her pulse point made Miranda's breath hitch. Andrea kissed her exposed collarbone, worshipping her shoulder, kissing a path down to the hint of cleavage. Miranda shivered when Andrea's tongue swiped underneath the dress, between her breasts, and she instinctively buried her hands in Andrea's luxurious hair.

Something touched the back of her knees, and Miranda realised they had somehow moved to the bed. Andrea's hands reached around her, searching the material, and she huffed impatiently against Miranda's skin.

"Where does this thing - "

Miranda bit her lip in amusement, but the sensation of Andrea haphazardly feeling for a zipper was tickling Miranda's sides. Plus, her frustration was adorable.

"Miranda!" Andrea whined helplessly, "Help!"

Miranda wasn't able to suppress her bark of laughter any longer. "Here," she said softly, and turned around to face the bed so that Andrea could see her back. "There's a button at the small of my back."

Andrea trailed her fingertips over Miranda's shoulder blades, whispering feathers against her muscles, trailing a light path down her spine. Goose bumps followed their trail of warmth, and Andrea felt satisfaction at the visible proof of how much her touch affected the other woman. She leaned forward, pressing her lips against the back of Miranda's neck, spreading kisses over her shoulders and down her back. She lowered herself to the ground until she was on her knees, and her lips focused on the spot at the small of Miranda's back, just above the cut of the dress. She had discovered this particular erogenous zone several days earlier, when she had taken Miranda from behind over her desk at the townhouse. It had been an especially hot encounter that left Miranda unable to walk for nearly ten minutes. Andrea hummed at the memory and worshipped the spot with her tongue. Miranda shivered in response, the feeling of Andrea's lips bringing the memory to the forefront of her mind. _Oh, God._

Andrea's hands touched her ankles and trailed upwards, teasing the tense calves, following the curve of shapely thighs, until they reached over the curve of her hips to undo the single button holding the dress together. Andy leaned back and watched, mesmerised, as the dress fell from Miranda's shoulders to pool around her hips. Andrea tugged it down until it fell to the floor, and she lost her breath. This was easily one of the sexiest sights Andrea had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on.

Miranda had forgone wearing a bra, and her lacy thong left little to the imagination, but most breath-taking of all was Miranda's garter belt that held up her thigh highs. The lace kissing her thighs was exquisite, and Andy couldn't help the urge to lean forward and trail her lips over them. Before she could get more enthusiastic, Miranda turned around, and Andrea's brain short-circuited. _This_. This was the sexiest thing she had ever witnessed. Kneeling before Miranda like this, she had never felt more alive.

Miranda's own breath caught in her throat at the sight of Andrea kneeling before her, brown eyes dark with lust, devouring Miranda whole. She had put a lot of effort into her appearance tonight, and she was satisfied to see just how much it paid off. She reached down with her hand and trailed her thumb over Andrea's lower lip, feeling her heart flutter when luscious lips parted and a teasing tongue swirled around Miranda's thumb. Doe eyes gazed up at her, unable to look away from her figure, and Miranda had never felt more beautiful or powerful in her life.

"Now, darling," she purred, and watched as Andrea's eyelids fluttered at the sound of her lustful voice. "I believe you have a surprise for me."

Andrea drew back from her hand and smirked, the mischievous glint in her eye

both thrilling and nerve-wracking. She stood up gracefully before pressing her hand against Miranda's chest. Taking the hint, she sat down on the plush mattress and barely managed to kick her heels off before Andrea straddled her lap. Miranda loved this particular position, and took advantage of it by kissing Andrea's neck and chest, anywhere she could reach. Her hands caressed her soft sides, and then reached down to cup Andrea's supple ass. Andrea hummed in delight, pressing her hips into Miranda's lap wantonly.

"How would you feel," she breathed, "if we experimented more?"

Miranda drew back, frowning. In Miranda's mind, they had already done a fair amount of experimenting. In fact, Miranda couldn't remember the last time she explored sex so thoroughly with someone. They'd had sex in many different places, in many different positions, in many different ways. They'd had morning sex, afternoon sex, mid-night sex. They'd done it in the shower, because Miranda had a spacious rainfall shower and Andrea was impossible to deny when she asked to share it. They had done it on the floor and against the wall when both of them had been too impatient to make it all the way to bed. They'd had sex in the office at the townhouse, in the kitchen, in the living room, and even in the foyer that one time, because Miranda loved the thrilling memories scattered all around her house. Another new facet of Miranda's sex life since being with Andrea was that there was so much more than the missionary position. She had ridden Andrea's fingers, and her face, and vice versa - and, _oh_ , how delightful it was to ride Andrea's tongue and look down into dark stormy eyes. They'd tried sixty-nine, which had felt amazing but ultimately too distracting to reach a simultaneous climax. Miranda had been delicious taken on her knees from behind, and loved the sight of Andrea bending over for her as well. There was also that time when Miranda had gone down on Andrea when the young woman had been working at her desk - although she didn't work for very long after Miranda had dropped to her knees. So, overall, yes, Miranda would say that in the past weeks she had experimented sexually more than in her entire life. However, that didn't mean she was about to stop now.

"What were you thinking?"

Andrea's lips curled into a salacious smirk. "I was thinking we could use toys."

Miranda blinked, and reminded herself to breathe.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow, and hoped Andrea would understand what she was really asking.

Andrea nodded, her brown locks falling over her shoulders. "Yeah. I was thinking maybe you'd like to fuck me with a strap on," Miranda inhaled sharply, but before her mind could conjure up all the images Andrea's words enticed her with, her lover continued: "Or, maybe _I_ could fuck _you_. I've been told I'm pretty stellar with my hips."

Miranda didn't even process the fact that past lovers had been involved in such activities with her Andrea. The only thing Miranda's lust-clouded mind could focus on was the idea of Andrea on top of her, taking charge, fucking Miranda with abandon -

" _Oh, yes_."

Andrea smirked, and she looked so domineering in that moment that Miranda felt herself clench in anticipation. She leaned down and captured Miranda's lips in a toe-curling kiss that left the older woman breathless and wanting for more.

"I will be right back then." And before she could complain, Andrea was out of Miranda's arms and gliding into the en suit bathroom.

Miranda took a moment to compose herself. Suggestive images fluttered through Miranda's mind, and the desire they curled in Miranda's stomach told her that yes, she absolutely wanted this. And she was going to love it. Her imagination ran rampant and free, wondering about all the ways, all the positions, all the _orgasms_ -

The door to the bathroom opened, and Miranda stared, mouth slack, as Andrea stepped out wearing nothing but her lace bodice and a black leather strap on. The dildo attached to it was also black, the realistic shape of it making Miranda's heartbeat pound in her ears. As Andrea drew closer, Miranda could see the detailed veins running down the thick shaft, and it looked so much more appealing than any other cock Miranda had ever seen. She didn't know whether the reason lied on the fact that it was a fake, or the person wearing it, but already Miranda knew this would be amazing.

"I know, I know," Andrea rolled her eyes, waving a hand through the air carelessly. "It looks ridiculous. But trust me, it'll feel good."

Miranda wanted to object, to say that Andrea could decide to wear the most ridiculous eye sore in the universe and Miranda would still find her attractive, but she couldn't stop herself from surveying the view with a critical eye (you can't turn off the Editor mind completely, after all) and she had to agree that yes, it did look sort of ridiculous. Andrea must have seen the amused agreement in her eyes, because suddenly she was on top of her and kissing her with so much passion that Miranda forgot all about aesthetics, and the only thing she could was submit to her Andrea. Miranda never submitted to anyone. Even with her husbands, she had never let them take full control. But as Andrea's lips made their way down Miranda's neck, she knew that she could never compare Andrea to anyone else. They all fell short. Not only was Andrea the best at pleasing Miranda, she was also the only person Miranda had ever felt truly comfortable with. It apparently made all the difference to be intimate with someone and being able to let go and not worry about what they might think. Miranda could writhe in pleasure and beg in agony and make herself painfully vulnerable in her ecstasy, because she knew that she didn't need to hold back. Not with Andrea. Miranda knew, deep down, that Andrea would adore her no matter what.

And _God_ , she truly knew how to work Miranda's body like an instrument. She knew just where to kiss, where to touch, where to bite to make Miranda's skin burn up and a harmony of tension to build up in her lower stomach. She knew exactly where Miranda wanted her tongue, and just how rough to be, and where to be gentle. She could build Miranda up, teasing her endlessly, giving her pleasure but not enough. And when she finally gave Miranda what she wanted, when she finally took Miranda to the greatest of heights, it was all-consuming, breath-takingly beautiful. The greatest beauty of all. And Miranda, who had spent her entire life searching for beautiful things, knew she could never go back to being without Andrea.

So when Miranda felt her lips travel downwards to worship her breasts, she moaned in pleasure. When that tantalising mouth trailed down her abdomen, nipping at her hipbones and swirling around her bellybutton, she trembled and bit her lip. And when Andrea's tongue reached the juncture of her thighs, teasing her mercilessly without paying any attention to where Miranda needed her most, she began to writhe in frustration.

"Andrea - _Oh!_ "

The first slow, hard swipe of Andrea's tongue through her folds always sent a shock of pleasure through Miranda, unparalleled to anything she'd felt before. Her fingers found their way to Andrea's hair once again, and they clenched into tight fists when Andrea's tongue paid special attention to her clit. Andrea's hands began to wander, caressing Miranda's thighs, sides, abdomen and breasts, until Miranda felt drunk with sensation. She whimpered, unable to keep her eyes open anymore when Andrea's tongue teased her opening before dipping inside. Miranda's thighs clenched around her head, and Miranda moaned as that talented tongue began to delve deep inside her.

Andy, for her part, was in her own version of heaven. Being like this, between Miranda's legs, with Miranda's taste in her mouth and the sounds of her pleasure filling the room, it was something Andy knew she'd never get enough of. She spent countless hours and many, many days and nights learning everything about Miranda's body. She was meticulous, probably more so than ever in her life, to learn how to pleasure her partner. It was an exploration without an end, because she kept finding new ways to make Miranda moan and tremble and _come_. And she really couldn't wait to try this little new adventure she had planned. She had a feeling Miranda would enjoy it just as much.

But first, this.

Miranda's neck arched in pleasure as Andrea moved her tongue in hard, circular strokes over her clit. She felt Andrea's finger probing her, teasing her entrance in just the right places (and what a surprise it had been for her, to find out just how sensitive she was there). Andrea continued her ministrations between her legs, never going inside, never filling Miranda the way she needed, never sucking on her clit in just the right way to get her off. Instead, she was being teased mercilessly, and Miranda gripped the duvet in frustration.

"Andrea," she groaned, and squeezed her eyes when she felt Andrea's dark chuckle vibrate against her wet skin. " _Stop_. _Teasing_."

Andrea's lips curled into a satisfied smile, Miranda could feel it, and her hot breath made her shiver. "Yes, Miranda."

And then she plunged two fingers into her, a deep, fast thrust that made Miranda moan so loudly she surprised herself. Andrea didn't even give her time to adjust to the fullness before she was curling her fingers in just the right way and pressing against the special spot near Miranda's cervix that made her body spasm and her hips thrust up involuntarily. So visceral was her reaction that she banged her pubic bone against Andrea's nose, and the younger woman leapt away from her, face contorted in pain.

"Ow," she said, scrunching up her nose. "Fuck, Miranda, that _hurt_."

"Sorry," Miranda panted, then moaned as her walls involuntarily squeezed around the fingers still inside her. She was so overworked, she felt sweat at the back of her neck. "But if you even dare to move your fingers away I will personally strangle you."

Andrea snorted, and looked at Miranda with such amusement and laughter in her eyes that Miranda wanted to smack her with a pillow. Before she could grab said pillow, however, Andrea curled her fingers again, and Miranda whimpered.

" _Fuck_ , Andrea - "

"It's okay, I forgive you. We'll just have to find a way for you to compensate me."

And suddenly she pulled her fingers away, and Miranda whined at the loss.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a bit dramatic?"

Clearly, she was in the mood of teasing _and_ taunting Miranda.

"And has anyone ever told _you_ that you talk too much? Shut up and fuck me already."

Andrea smirked, and Miranda rolled her eyes impatiently.

"As you wish."

In a second she crawled back up Miranda's body, spread her legs open wider, and settled between them. Miranda's breath caught in her throat at the feeling of the dildo pressing against her folds, and her body tensed up. Suddenly she realised that she hadn't had something this big in... well, she couldn't even remember.

"Go slow," she whispered, her voice changing from self-assured to shy in an instant. "I - I haven't - "

"Shh," Andrea smiled, and used her slightly sticky fingers to move Miranda's forelock away from her eyes. "I have you."

She leaned down and kissed her, softly at first, sharing Miranda's taste with her until Miranda relaxed under her ministrations. Andrea caressed her tongue, sucked her bottom lip in the most delicious way, until Miranda relaxed back into the sheets. The kisses trailed a path down her jaw until they reached that special spot behind her ear, where Andrea used lips, tongue, and teeth to make Miranda delirious with lust once again. Shocks of pleasure ran down her body, and she panted against Andrea's ear.

"Darling..." she mumbled, and Andrea knew that was her cue.

She dragged her mouth further down Miranda's body to worship perfect breasts, and sucked on the tight nipples desperate for attention. Miranda moaned, and didn't even notice Andrea's hands moving as she reached blindly for the lube and spread a copious amount on the phallus between her own legs. Miranda could feel her thighs trembling, and her heartbeat pounded in her ears as Andrea crawled back up.

"Look at me."

Miranda obeyed, and chocolate orbs looked intently into her own eyes as Andrea gripped her thigh with one hand while the other positioned herself at Miranda's entrance. She held her breath, and Andrea pressed down gently with her hips until she slid inside.

_Oh_.

She held still, not going all the way in, letting Miranda adjust to the girth of it. And thank God, because Miranda was trying to catch her breath.

_Oh, wow_.

They kept eye contact, Andrea searching her eyes for any indication of discomfort, any sign that she should stop of keep going. Miranda's eyes fluttered, and she slowly released a breath, willing herself to relax. This was Andrea with her, on top of her, _inside her_. She would take care of her, no matter what.

Andrea must have seen a change in her eyes, because slowly she pressed deeper, sliding inch by inch, and Miranda's mouth dropped to form a perfect 'o' as she felt increasingly full. When Andrea's hips met the apex of her thighs, when she was seethed inside Miranda to the hilt, she moaned in pleasure as Andrea hit all the right places. She kept her hips perfectly still, leaning down to drop kisses everywhere she could reach - Miranda's face, neck, chest - while she waited for her to adjust to the fullness.

"Andrea," Miranda whimpered when she realised her lover would need verbal proof that she was more than ready for this. " _Move_."

And so she did, slowly pulling out almost completely before sliding back in, and as their bodies pressed close together Miranda shut her eyes and saw stars. Andrea continued this movement - slowly out, faster in, out, in - while watching Miranda's face closely, admiring the way her chest rose and fell as she panted, the way her lips let the most delicious, sinful moans escape, how her brow furrowed in pleasure. She was beautiful, so breath-takingly perfect that Andrea got swept up by the moment, moving her hips faster and her thrusts reaching deeper until Miranda was crying out in ecstasy.

"Andrea - _ah! Yes!_ "

She'd found the perfect angle, and Miranda knew she had never felt this sort of pleasure before. No man had been able to make her feel this way, and she wrapped her legs around Andrea's waist, pulling her closer still, welcoming her thrusts deeper. She moaned as Andrea gripped her hips, thrusting faster and harder, and Miranda could do nothing but grasp at the toned back and try to breathe whenever she could. Andrea moaned as Miranda's nails dug into her skin, and reached down to kiss and lick and bite at Miranda's neck. It was that last action that broke something within Miranda, and an animalistic, primal side of her came forth with a vengeance.

"Oh, _God_. Oh, _fuck_. _Yes_ \- _harder!_ "

Andrea couldn't resist - she began to pound into Miranda with new-found urgency, the bed shaking with each hard thrust. The room was filled with the sounds of their bodies slapping against one another, of Miranda's increasingly loud cries of pleasure, of Andrea's pants and moans as she fucked her, of Miranda's sinful amount of wetness -

"Help me," Andrea panted into Miranda's ear. "Touch your clit. I want you to scream when you come."

Miranda moaned as arousal shot through her body at Andrea's words, and she bit her lips as her hand made its way between their bodies to put pressure on her own clit. Her thighs trembled at either side of Andrea's hips, and she became so delirious with pleasure that she began to mumble incomprehensively as Andrea continued to fiercely pound into her, even harder that before, until Miranda's entire body moved with the motions. She rubbed at her clit with two fingers just as Andrea leaned down to suck at the sensitive pulse point at her neck, and suddenly Miranda's toes curled, her thighs clenched, her whole body locked in exquisite ecstasy as her eyes rolled back and she screamed as wave upon wave of ecstasy tore through her. She soared higher into unknown heights of pleasure, and she was oblivious to anything except the feeling of scorching heat burning her everywhere in the most delightful ways. Long moments passed with her locked in this blissful state, until her body could take no more and it collapsed back onto the bed, her muscles trembling and spasming in post-orgasmic shocks. Her legs fell weakly from their vice-like grip around Andrea's hips, and she panted harshly, her lungs fighting to catch her breath. Andrea's movements slowed to a stop, and Miranda kept her eyes closed as the younger woman dropped sweet, gentle kisses down her neck, over her collarbones and chest.

Finally, Miranda's trembling stopped, and her body returned from the stratosphere back into the moment. Her breathing slowed to its normal state, and her heart no longer felt like it was pounding out of her chest. She gathered enough strength to blink her eyes open, and her breath caught when she saw Andrea gazing down at her, a look of awed reverence on her face as she admired Miranda's every feature, as if burning the image into her memory.

"Wow," Andrea whispered in wonder.

Miranda gave a tired but honest smile, and her eyes twinkled like the ocean under bright sunlight. "Wow, indeed," she murmured, her voice rough and husky from her very vocal display of ecstasy.

While they gazed at one another basking in the afterglow, Andrea reached up with delicate fingertips to caress her cheek, her eyebrow, her jaw. Miranda had never felt so cherished, so sincerely adored in her entire life.

"You are incredible beyond words, my darling," Miranda murmured, and leaned up to softly kiss beautifully full lips.

Andrea's beaming smile was so joyous and sincere that Miranda felt her heart flutter in her chest. How did she get so lucky? Instead of answering, Andrea leaned down and kissed her once more.

"Okay, I need you to take a deep breath now," the younger woman said.

Miranda did, and Andrea pulled away from her. Miranda felt a slight sting of pain, and then a loss so sharp that she whimpered. But before she knew it, Andrea had quickly divested herself of the strap on and flung it over the side of the bed before covering them with the duvet and pulling Miranda close. The older woman breathed in deeply, revelling in Andrea's scent - her perfume, her shampoo, and her sweat - all the smells that had somehow become _home_.

They stayed in silence for some time, basking in their closeness and the amazing experience they had just shared. Andrea's fingertips traced nonsensical patters over Miranda's abdomen, waist and hips, while Miranda in turn threaded her fingers through silky brown hair. The peaceful moment was broken when Andrea raised herself on her elbow and looked down at Miranda with a teasing grin on her face.

"Hey, remember that time you nearly broke my nose during sex?"

This time Miranda didn't hold back, and smacked that smug look off Andrea's face with a ruthless slap of her pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm not really sure about it myself, but I did my best under my current life circumstances, so please let me know what you think! Criticism is of course welcome, but please be patient with me! I have no beta so all mistakes are mine.   
> I promise there will be more plot coming soon, I just need to finish my last semester of university before I can really write anything substantial. Still, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I don't want to write too much smut, since I'm thinking of doing a separate piece dedicated to Miranda's sexual explorations with Andrea, but I felt that this particular scene needed to be in the main fic because I think it's key to Miranda's own understanding of her sexuality. I wanted her to realise that the problem with her previous male partners was not the missionary position, but rather that she can only enjoy this kind of intimate sex with someone she wholeheartedly trusts. Anyways, please leave a comment telling me what you think, so that I get a better idea of what you like to read!   
> Thank you all so much for being patient and keeping up with me. I love you all <3


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